The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
by Titan5
Summary: A misunderstanding offworld leads to big problems for John Sheppard and Dr. Nick Strauhan. Will the team be able to rescue them in time? Sequel to Memories or Nightmares.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is a sequel to "Memories or Nightmares" and begins shortly after the end of that story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters. Nick Strauhan has been borrowed from Rogue1503 (with permission – cause she's my buddy).

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time - Chapter One

Elizabeth let her gaze roam around the table as she sipped her coffee, making sure everyone was there. Sheppard, Beckett, McKay, Teyla, and Ronon, all present and accounted for. She set her cup down on the table. "Okay, Rodney, what do you have for us?"

McKay paused from pecking on his laptop and shifted his attention to the leader of the Atlantis expedition. "I found a reference to M4P-557 in the Ancient data base. Apparently there is an ore on the planet that the Ancients were experimenting with. It looks like it had potential to be used in a form of shield, almost like some kind of armor."

Sheppard leaned back in his chair and turned it slightly so he could face McKay. "Does it say anything about the planet, like if it was inhabited or had dinosaurs, or maybe giant venomous spiders? It'd also be handy if it told us where to look for this stuff."

McKay sighed. "Oh, yes, Colonel, we also found the reference manual, "The Complete Guide to M4P-557", as well as a map with X marks the spot. This is not the movie of the week. It makes a vague reference to working out a trade with some people on the planet, but it doesn't give any details." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "It does, however, give some pretty good instructions as to the location of the ore deposit."

"Okay, we'll negotiate a trade of some kind if there are still people there. It _has_ been almost 10,000 years. Everyone may have moved by now." Sheppard shifted his chair back to its original position.

"Or been culled," added Ronon.

Elizabeth winced at the comment. "Okay, you have a go to check it out, but no arms trading. We are not supplying weapons, so don't even mention it."

Sheppard cringed. "One time, Elizabeth, and you'll never let me forget it."

Elizabeth raised one eyebrow and smiled. "It was more than once, and no, I don't ever want you to forget it. We can trade medicines or maybe building materials or knowledge, but no weapons. Are we clear on that, Colonel Sheppard?"

Sheppard grinned sheepishly. "No weapons. Got it. What kind of medicines should we offer?"

"I don't know, antibiotics I guess." She looked over to Beckett. "Carson, what do you think?"

"Antibiotics is a good bet, but it's hard to tell exactly what they have need of without talking to the people."

Sheppard pointed at Beckett and shook his finger. "Hey, Doc, you should come with us. You'll know what questions to ask to figure out what they need. You could probably make a better case to them about why they need it than any of us could."

Beckett shook his head vigorously. "Oh, no, Colonel, no," he sputtered. "You can handle it. Yes, I'm sure you'll do fine. The last time I went through the gate, my equilibrium was off balance for a week. I have no idea how you pass through that bloody thing so often without ending up flat on your back."

"If only you knew," murmured McKay.

Sheppard shot McKay a warning glance, which he made a point of ignoring. "You can do it, Carson. It's not that hard, really. It just takes a little getting used to, that's all."

Beckett's voice notched up a bit in pitch. "What if I don't want to get used to it? Maybe I don't want my molecules scrambled on a regular basis."

McKay rolled his eyes. "This is what happens when Scotty crashes into McCoy - you get fear with a Scottish accent."

Teyla and Ronon shared a confused look as everyone else snickered, except for Beckett of course. He just frowned and sighed loudly.

"Let Strauhan do it." All eyes turned to Ronon as his deep voice rumbled.

"Nick?" asked McKay.

"He's been out with us before and he doesn't mind going. Let's take Strauhan," Ronon repeated.

Sheppard smiled as he looked at Beckett. Nick had already talked to him about going out with the team on a regular basis, but he didn't know if Nick had talked to Beckett yet. Not wanting to cause trouble, he had been waiting on an opportunity to suggest Nick go with them and then Ronon had popped up with it. He couldn't have asked for better. "That will work. He's done well in the field the times we've taken him and I think he kind of likes going off world occasionally. What do you say, Doc?"

Beckett considered it. "I suppose that would work. I can talk to him."

Sheppard grinned. "Okay, it's settled. Nick can go with us."

Beckett looked at Sheppard sternly. "If I let him go, you have to promise to bring him back in one piece, and preferably in better condition than the last time he went off world."

Sheppard held up a hand defensively. "I'll bring him back in one piece, and for the record, that wasn't my fault. I was a little unconscious the last time."

"Well, it'd be nice if you all came back conscious and walking under your own power for once."

"We'll do our best, Doc, promise." Sheppard grinned as he turned back to McKay. "Do we know how their time relates to ours?"

McKay punched a few buttons on his laptop. "Looks like they are about 5 hours behind us, so we might want to leave about noon, our time."

Teyla eyed McKay questioningly. "Did you say 'we'?"

McKay sighed as he looked down at the cast on his leg, propped up in a chair as he sat sideways at the table. "Okay, _you_ might want to wait until noon. Happy?"

Teyla smiled. "Just making sure. Perhaps you can keep Dr. Beckett company when we take Dr. Strauhan away."

Beckett's mouth dropped open slightly. "Oh, lass, now why would you say something like that?"

McKay just waved his hand. "I don't have time to mess with entertaining a doctor of voodoo. I have important things to do. He'll have to keep himself occupied."

"Thank goodness," Beckett mumbled.

oOo

Sheppard wandered into the infirmary, thinking about how rarely he came here on purpose and not to seek medical attention. It was a nice change, he decided. He should really try to keep his long-term visits to a minimum. He poked his head into Beckett's office.

"Doc?" He found both Carson and Nick in the office, sitting with their feet propped up and nursing a cup of coffee. "Gee, I hope I'm not interrupting some important medical conference."

"Well, actually you are, but we might forgive you if you're nice," quipped Nick.

Sheppard leaned against the door frame and grinned. "So what is this important medical conference about?"

Beckett sighed the sigh of the pleasure from a good cup of coffee. "The benefits of good coffee to the medical community in general, as well as to doctor-patient relationships."

Sheppard tilted his head and frowned. "Doctor-patient relationships?"

Nick nodded. "Oh, yeah. The doctor is much more patient and understanding when he's had a really good cup of coffee to get him going."

Sheppard grinned and nodded. "Okay, now that makes a lot of sense. Well, at the risk of further interrupting your thought processes, I just stopped by to see if Nick's game to go with us tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'm game. You think it might be possible to avoid being chased by the wraith this time?"

"God, I hope so. I don't plan on being bait for the local wildlife this time, either." He shuddered and instinctively rubbed his shoulder, feeling the slight indentation where the spider bite had left a bit of a crater.

Beckett frowned at him. "Is that shoulder still giving you trouble?"

Sheppard quit rubbing and shrugged. "Just gets achy every now and then, mostly after Teyla whips me in stick fighting. Something about eating humble pie makes it hurt worse."

Beckett just shook his head. "Would it kill you just to give me a straight answer occasionally?"

Sheppard smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Now where's the fun in that?" He looked down at Nick. "We're leaving at noon, so meet us in the gate room. Let me know if you have any questions."

Nick nodded. "Okay, I think Carson explained everything. I'll be there."

Sheppard gave a mock salute before turning and leaving the infirmary.

Beckett looked at Nick. "I don't suppose I can count on you to keep the two of you out of trouble, can I? The last time I let you go somewhere with him, you both ended up in here."

Nick pointed defensively at Beckett. "Now that wasn't my fault and he was injured before I even got there. We'll be nice and safe and sound this time. Piece of cake."

Beckett snorted. "Not bloody likely."

oOo

Sheppard stepped through the gate into a grassy field strewn with gray-white rocks and boulders of various sizes. He heard the distinctive whoosh of the stargate shutting down behind him. Teyla and Ronon had already taken up the point, scanning the horizon for signs of trouble. Nick was standing a few feet in front of him, struggling with the heavy pack on his back. Sheppard grinned as he walked up behind Nick.

"You're lopsided."

Nick tried to look back over his shoulder, throwing what little balance he had off and almost sending him into the dirt. "What?"

Teyla looked at Ronon and smiled. He turned up one corner of his mouth and nodded back at her.

Sheppard took hold of the two back straps of Nick's pack and adjusted them over to the left. He jumbled the things in the pack around a little so as to redistribute their weight.

"John, you realize that's medical supplies in there and not rocks, right? Some of that stuff will break."

Sheppard just smiled as he continued to align the pack. "No problem, Nick. I'm not planning on breaking anything, just rearranging a bit. There, how's that?" He stood back and observed his handiwork.

Nick stood straighter and pulled the front straps. "Hey, that's actually a lot better. Thanks. I had a lot of trouble getting the pack on over the vest."

Sheppard walked up to stand beside Nick. "You'll get used to it. I guess we're ready now. According to McKay's information, the village with the people the Ancients dealt with should be almost straight ahead about a mile to a mile and a half."

They began walking toward the village, with Ronon and Teyla in front, followed by Nick and Sheppard.

Sheppard glanced at Nick. "So, did you ever get a chance to talk to Carson?"

Nick shook his head. "Not really, other than about this mission. I figure when we all get back safe and sound, that would be a good time to spring it on him that I want to go out with you guys a little more regularly."

"Maybe one of us should step in a hole or something on the way back to convince him you're needed."

Nick chuckled. "I don't think that will be necessary. Don't worry, your record speaks for itself."

Sheppard feigned shock by dramatically placing his hand over his heart. "Just what is that supposed to mean?"

"He means you spend too much time in the infirmary," said Ronon.

Sheppard scowled as he replied. "And who asked your opinion?"

"You didn't have to ask. I just told you."

Sheppard was mentally sending daggers into Ronon's back when the big man turned and narrowed his eyes at him. Startled, he wondered if Ronon could read minds and hadn't bothered to tell anyone. If that was true, he was so totally screwed.

"And quit smiling, Teyla," Sheppard warned. He couldn't actually see her face, but somehow he could tell by the way she held her shoulders that she was grinning. Well, that and the fact that Sheppard had seen her smile at similar exchanges.

"I am merely enjoying the company," came her ever so diplomatic reply.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Nick restarted the conversation. "How's the arm coming? I haven't talked to you in a while."

Sheppard frowned. "We're at six percent."

Nick's eyes widened. "You're at six percent already? John, that's great. You've almost cut the disability level in half in just a few weeks. I'm impressed."

"I'm not. I've been at six for a while and I need it to go down."

"You've only got one more percent. You'll do it. Even if you don't, for you to have come that far, Carson will help you out."

Sheppard shrugged his shoulders. "One percent for now, maybe, but six percent til I'm done."

Nick frowned. "John . . . you know one hundred percent recovery is probably not going to happen, right? And let's face it, even where you're at right now, it's not likely you'll even notice. We're only talking about a six percent loss of muscle function in your left arm. Believe me when I say this could have been a lot worse."

"Look, I know what you are saying, but I'll keep working for one hundred percent if you don't mind."

There was a silent pause for several moments, where all that could be heard was the crunch of their feet on the dirt and gravel of the road they were traveling. "What if you never get to that one hundred percent."

"Then I guess I'll never quit working," replied Sheppard easily.

Nick sighed. "You're hopeless, you know that don't you?"

Sheppard grinned. "I do remember being told that once or twice."

Neither Sheppard, nor Nick missed the glance exchanged between Teyla and Ronon.

They arrived in the village a few minutes later, except it wasn't so much a village as it was a city. It reminded Sheppard of photographs he'd seen of small communities in the late 1800s or early 1900's. Houses were arranged in neat rows with semi-maintained dirt/gravel roads running between them. He didn't see any sign of transportation outside of animals that looked somewhat like long-necked donkeys. People didn't seem to ride them so much as use them to pull wagons and carts that they rode and hauled in. Dress reminded him of the same time period or possibly earlier. Women were in long dresses and men in dark clothing that reminded him of old-time suits. As they walked down the central street, they began to gather attention.

"Greetings! My name is Counselor Mistdol. May I help you strangers?" A tall, thin man about Sheppard's age approached them, a relaxed smile on his face. "We don't get many new visitors. Have you come through the great ring?"

Sheppard stepped forward. "Yes, I'm Colonel John Sheppard and this is Teyla Emmagan, Specialist Ronon Dex, and Dr. Nick Strauhan. We're looking for possible trade partners and wondered if your people would be interested."

The man looked down sadly. "I'm afraid you'll need to talk to Chancellor Gaylen, as he is the leader of our people, and that is not possible right now."

Sheppard's smile faltered and then quickly recovered. "And may I ask _why_ we can't talk to him?"

The man nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm afraid he is very ill at the moment. He is delirious with fever and cannot carry on a plain conversation."

Nick stepped forward, brow furrowed in worry over someone he'd never met. Sheppard thought how very much like Carson he was sometimes.

"I'm a doctor, or, uh, a healer, for my people. Maybe I can help your Chancellor."

The man's face brightened, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "Do you think you could? Chancellor Gaylen has led our people for many years and he is much loved by all. We would be forever in your debt if you could help him."

"Well, I'd have to examine him to see, but I'd sure be willing to do what I can."

The counselor waved at them to follow and then led them to a two-story white frame house. Sheppard leaned over close to Nick. "Look, I don't want to put pressure on you or anything, but this could really open some doors for us if you could help this guy."

Nick grinned at Sheppard. "No pressure - just remember that everything depends on this?"

Sheppard returned the grin. "Yeah, something like that."

They followed Mistdol through the door and into what appeared to be the equivalent of a living room. There were several people milling around who stopped to stare at them when they entered the house. Mistdol ignored them and led the team to a staircase at one side of the large room, encouraging them to follow him quickly.

Sheppard paused long enough to turn to Teyla and Ronon. "I want you two to stay down here and keep an eye on things. I'll go upstairs with Nick."

Teyla and Ronon nodded and turned to move back into the room as Sheppard and Strauhan disappeared from view. Teyla looked at Ronon.

"Do you think they will be all right?"

Ronon nodded. "Yeah, they should be. These people seem relatively harmless."

Teyla's eyes flashed. "Looks can be deceiving, as you well know."

"Yes I do. That is why we will do as Sheppard ordered and keep an out on things down here."

Nodding, Teyla moved through the room checking things out as Ronon walked over to look out the window.

John and Nick were led into a bedroom at the top of the stairs. An older man lay on the bed in the center of the room, moving restlessly as the people around him nervously tended him. A graying woman near his age sat beside him, wiping his fevered brow with a damp cloth and murmuring to him. Another woman, obviously much younger, stood nervously beside her. A short, plump man who seemed to be in his late twenties paced on the other side of the bed.

Mistdol cleared his throat loudly as they entered the room. "Madam, I may have found help for the Chancellor. These men have come through the great ring and say they may be able to help heal him."

The older woman stood and frowned suspiciously at John and Nick. "Why would you help? What payment would you expect?"

Nick stepped forward, figuring this was his gig. "I'm Dr. Nick Strauhan and we have come here in search of people to be allies and trade partners. I'm not sure if I can help, uh . . . "

"Chancellor Gaylen," she filled in.

"Yes, right, sorry. Sometimes I'm not very good with names. Anyway, I won't know if I can help the Chancellor until I have a look at him, but I'll be happy to do what I can. I'm not looking for payment, just trying to help. Friends help each other out and that's what we hope to become."

The older woman stepped forward another step and looked closely at his face. Nick was beginning to shift his feet nervously when she finally softened her expression. "My name is Marissa and I am his wife." She turned to the other two people in the room and indicated each with a swift hand movement. "These are our children, Fenton and Carleena."

Carleena nodded at them, while Fenton just continued to pace.

Marissa turned back to face the two men. "What do you need?"

Nick looked past her to the sick man on the bed. "Well, you can begin by telling me what's wrong with him. What are his symptoms and how long has he been ill?"

"He was repairing a fence and he cut himself badly on the wire. That was several days ago. We cleaned the wound, but it has pained him greatly. Then he became ill a few days ago. He is fevered, not in his right mind, and he cannot eat or drink."

Nick nodded. "Sounds like an infection. Let's have a look."

Nick walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, removing his pack. He retrieved his stethoscope and immediately began his examination. Marissa stepped up to Sheppard and eyed him.

"And who are you?"

"I'm Lt. Colonel John Sheppard. If anyone can help your husband, Nick can. He's an excellent doctor – saved my hide on several occasions." He tried to smile reassuringly, but Marissa just looked at him sternly before turning to stand behind Nick. He watched her peer over Nick's shoulder as he examined the wound on her husband's leg. Sheppard busied himself looking around the room, having no desire to look at the infected injury. He'd lived through a few of those himself and knew firsthand how bad they could be.

Several minute later, Nick got up and walked over to Sheppard, Marissa barely a step behind him. "John, his leg is very badly infected and I'm going to need some things from the infirmary. Do you think we could send Teyla and Ronon?"

John nodded. "Just write down what you need and I'll send them. Shouldn't take too long."

"Good." Nick returned to his pack and wrote down a few things on a notepad from the medical supplies. Tearing the paper off, he handed it to Sheppard. "Tell them to give this to Carson and tell them to hurry. He's in bad shape and I'm not sure we're in time to help him."

John nodded. "I'll be back in a minute."

Mistdol motioned to John and led him down the steps to the large room they had first entered through. Ronon was standing beside the window and Teyla stood talking to some women on the other side of the room. Upon seeing him, they both came immediately to their CO.

"Guys, I need you to take this note to Carson. Nick says the old guy is pretty bad and he needs some additional supplies. He also says you better hurry."

Teyla took the note and nodded. "We will move quickly, Colonel."

Ronon frowned. "Maybe I should stay here with you."

Sheppard shook his head. "No, I don't want Teyla going it alone. So far everyone is nice, but I want someone watching her back. I'll take care of Nick."

Ronon's frown deepened. "And who'll take care of you?"

Sheppard snorted. "I don't need anyone to take care of me."

Ronon glared at him a moment. "We'll hurry." He and Teyla turned and moved quickly out the door, leaving John to shake his head.

Mistdol broke his train of thought. "If you can help the High Chancellor, we will be forever grateful. He is an excellent leader."

Sheppard mentally crossed his fingers that Nick was able to save the old man. He and Mistdol went back up the stairs.

Forty-five minutes later, Sheppard was standing just outside the bedroom door, watching the stairs when Nick leaned out the door.

"John?"

Sheppard turned and looked at the doctor. "Yeah?" Seeing the worried look on Nick's face, he immediately tensed up. "What's wrong?"

"He's dead. The Chancellor didn't make it."

Sheppard closed his eyes and tipped his head forward. "Crap! Just once I'd like to get a break. Just once."

Mistdol rushed out of the room and almost knocked Sheppard over as he raced down the stairs. The pilot could hear the crying and wailing beginning from the room as he regained his balance. He suddenly had a bad feeling about the whole situation. He walked over to stand by Nick in the doorway of the room. Marissa was weeping loudly as she embraced her husband's body. Carleena knelt on the floor beside her mother, her face in her hands and her body wracked with sobs. Fenton had stopped his pacing and stood clenching and unclenching his fists angrily. He looked up at the men in the doorway.

"You did this! Why have you killed my father?"

Sheppard stepped in front of Nick. "No one killed your father," he said calmly. "He was too sick to save. Nick did everything that he could."

"How do we know you didn't poison him or something? We don't even know who you are. We should never have trusted you. You'll be punished for this. The people loved my father and they will never stand for this."

"Look, you know how sick he was before we even got here. Surely you can see that he was already dying. We were just trying to help. You can't seriously want to punish us for trying to help him."

Fenton smiled harshly. "Oh, I can do a lot more than _want_ to punish you."

Sheppard knew trouble when he saw it and they were definitely looking at trouble. "We're out of here," he said quietly to Nick. "Just leave your pack and head down the stairs while we still have a shot at getting out of here."

He backed out the bedroom door right behind Nick and they carefully, but quickly moved down the stairs and through the living room. They rushed out the door and into the street to find a large mob of people already upon them. Mistdol must have sounded the alarm. The crowd overtook them two steps out of the doorway.

Sheppard tried in vain to stay close to Nick. The first thing the mob did was to separate and disarm them. Hands grabbed at him, tearing away his weapons and pulling at his clothes. He was shouting, trying to explain to them that they had done nothing to harm the Chancellor while attempting to keep an eye on Nick. He could see Nick was also pleading his case, but no one was listening.

Sheppard was suddenly hit in the stomach by one man just before someone else smashed a large stick across his shoulders, throwing him to the ground. He looked up long enough to see that Nick was also now on the ground as well. He tried to crawl away from the mob toward Nick, but someone kicked him in the side, sending him sprawling. As the hits and kicks began to really pummel his body, the pain began to overwhelm him and his vision began to fade. His last conscious thought was why did they always have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Note:** The feedback was overwhelming and truly wonderful. You guys make me smile – a lot.

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time - Chapter 2

Sheppard groaned as he rolled over onto his back and opened his eyes. The floor was hard and cold beneath him and the ceiling was definitely not that of the infirmary. The sound of movement to his right caused him to let his head roll in that direction. Nick was crumpled up on the floor next to him, his face bloody and bruised.

Nick's eyes flickered open and he looked in John's direction. "Ohhh, Toto, I've a bad feeling we're not in Kansas any more."

John snorted and immediately regretted the jabbing pain in his head it caused. "Not even the same galaxy, Dorothy."

"Hey, who you calling Dorothy?" Nick tried to smile, but didn't get very far before deciding it took entirely too much energy.

John slowly dragged himself up into a sitting position, leaning on his left arm. He looked around the small cell they had been thrown in. The floor and walls were made of large stones and the bars on one side seemed to be some sort of metal. There were no windows, causing the cell to be dark since the only light was the muted glow shining in from between the bars. The cell was cold, damp, and musty, leading John to think they were underground.

"Nice decorator. I'd say early medieval dungeon, wouldn't you?"

Nick sat up shakily and propped his back against the wall. When the dizziness finally subsided, he let his eyes wander around the room. "I think I have to agree with that assessment. Where do you think we are?"

"My guess is we're in prison for killing their precious Chancellor Gay-man."

Nick snickered, then winced at the effort. "I think it's Gaylen, not gay man."

John just waved one hand flippantly in the air. "Yeah, whatever. He had to pick right then to die, though, didn't he?"

"You know, somehow I don't think he planned it that way."

"I know, I know, our luck just really sucks sometimes." John pulled himself over to sit by Nick so he could lean with his back against the wall. He looked up to see Nick eyeing him critically. "What?"

"Tell me about your injuries."

John leaned his head against the wall, closed his eyes, and smiled. "You and Carson are so much alike it's not funny. I probably have pretty much the same injuries as you do, so don't go all doctor on me. Concussion probably, maybe some cracked ribs, a bruised everything else." He rolled his head to the side and opened his eyes. "Does that about cover it?"

Nick sighed. "Yeah, that's pretty close. Nothing I can do about any of that here."

John looked around and noticed he didn't have his vest any more. No medical supplies or anything else. This really wasn't looking good at all. Checking his watch to see how long they had been out, he discovered his watch was broken. No, this wasn't turning out to be one of his better days.

oOo

Teyla and Ronon walked through the gate with the medical supplies that Beckett had gathered. Teyla tapped her radio.

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Teyla. We have returned with the medical supplies." When there was no answer, she frowned and tried again. "Colonel Sheppard, please respond." She looked up worriedly at Ronon. "He is not answering his radio."

Ronon shrugged, but narrowed his eyes. "Maybe his radio isn't working."

Teyla keyed her radio again "Dr. Strahaun, this is Teyla; please respond, I am unable to contact Colonel Sheppard." Again she was greeted with silence.

"Perhaps, but I think we should hurry," said Teyla.

Ronon just nodded.

They walked quickly to the town where Nick and Colonel Sheppard waited with the ailing Chancellor, talking very little so that they could move more quickly. Upon entering the edge of the settlement, they immediately knew something was wrong. The streets were full of people milling about and many of them appeared to be crying and comforting one another. As they made their way through the crowd toward Chancellor Gaylen's house, people turned to stare and point at them.

Teyla moved a step closer to Ronon. "Something is very wrong."

Ronon carefully watched the crowd as they walked. "What makes you think that?" he asked sarcastically.

They quickened their pace, watching the crowd all the while. When they reached the front door, Counselor Mistdol came out of the house and stood glaring at them from the bottom step.

"You should leave immediately. If you stay, I cannot be responsible for your safely."

"What has happened?" asked Teyla. She gripped the medical bag tightly, fear coursing through her body, setting her on edge. She rather suspected she knew what had happened.

"Chancellor Gaylen has passed on while in the care of your doctor. He and Colonel Sheppard have been held responsible for the Chancellor's death. They must be punished after we determine why they have done this terrible thing."

Ronon's hand went automatically to the butt of his gun. "What have you done with Sheppard and Strauhan?"

Teyla placed a restraining hand on Ronon's arm. "Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Strauhan wanted nothing more than to help your leader. I assure you they did nothing to hasten his death. There is nothing to punish them for since they have done nothing wrong."

"They are with the Enforcer and he will decide what they have done after his interrogation. He is very thorough and will determine the truth."

Ronon took a step forward and grabbed Mistdol by the front of his shirt. "You harm either one of them and you'll have to answer to me, is that clear? Where are they? We want to see them."

Mistdol twisted until he squirmed out of Ronon's grip, with Teyla encouraging Ronon to let him do it. "You cannot see them, it is forbidden. Not until they have been questioned and punished."

Teyla was frowning in sheer frustration at dealing with this man who did not seem to be listening to what she was saying. "Do they not have any opportunity to proclaim their innocence?"

"Of course. We are not barbarians, they can proclaim their innocence to the Enforcer."

Ronon snorted. "And how does this Enforcer interrogate prisoners?"

Mistdol hesitated, knowing the big man would not be happy with his answer. He looked around and decided he had enough people there to protect him if things went badly. "Let's just say that it is not pleasant."

"When does this interrogation begin?"

Mistdol smiled and crossed his arms, feeling safe now surrounded by the gathering crowd. "It has probably already begun if they are conscious."

Teyla's eyes widened. "If they are conscious? What does that mean?"

"Well, the crowd became agitated when they tried to leave and found it necessary to use force to retain them for the Enforcer. They were both rendered unconscious."

Teyla shook her head. "Who may we speak to about this? This arrangement is unfair and unacceptable."

"No one. It is decided. This is the way it is done. Now I would suggest you leave before the crowd gets any angrier."

Ronon and Teyla looked around at the street, now full of angry people, and decided it was time to begin a hasty retreat. As the made their way through the crowd, Ronon turned back to Mistdol.

"We'll be back for them and we _will_ take them with us."

oOo

John looked toward the bars when he heard the footsteps approaching their cell. He turned to Nick, seeing the look of fear in his face as he watched to see who was coming.

"Nick, whatever happens, just remember, they'll come back for us. Don't give up or let them tell you any differently. We don't leave our people behind."

Nick nodded, believing that they would come back for them. What scared his was that it wouldn't be in time to stop whatever was about to happen. He'd never been held by the enemy before, and surely these people counted as the enemy by now. He felt the knot of fear tightening in his stomach.

"John? I've never been captured before. I've gotta tell you . . . I'm terrified."

"Join the club, Nick."

Nick looked back over at Sheppard, his eyes wide. "You're scared?"

John laughed, a tight strangled sound. "Shouldn't I be?"

"I just thought . . . ' Nick stammered.

"What, that I wouldn't be afraid? You've got me mixed up with someone else. I've done this before, but that doesn't stop me from being afraid. It's always different and it's usually painful. I'm scared to death."

Nick jumped as the door clanked open and four large men marched into the cell. Two grabbed Nick's arms and two grabbed John's arms. They were both jerked to their feet and dragged down the hallway.

John scrambled to get his legs underneath him so that he could walk down the hall on his own. It took several steps for his legs to catch up with the rest of him. They took them down the hall and into a room that was about fifteen foot square. The men suddenly grabbed John and pulled his shirt off over his head. When he was able to get his bearings, he saw that the Nick had suffered the same fate. The men then proceeded to place their wrists in shackles over their head and stepped back against the wall.

Another man that had been standing in the shadows stepped forward. He was a large man, almost as tall as Ronon. He had large shoulders and rather large gut to go with it. He kept twirling the edge of a big bushy mustache as he looked the two men over.

"Who are you?" asked Sheppard.

The man smiled as he walked all the way around them, looking them over from head to toe and making both men nervous. John figured that was exactly what he was trying to do, so he did his best to seem bored and disinterested. The man finally stopped in front of them.

"I am the Enforcer. It is my job to find out why you killed the Chancellor and exactly what you hope to gain."

Sheppard gave a small, nervous laugh. "Well, let me make this easy for you. We didn't kill him. The Chancellor was already very sick when we got here. We didn't hurt him, we just didn't get here in time to help him. The only thing we hoped to gain by coming to your lovely little planet here was to find a trading partner and possible ally against the Wraith. That's all there is to it."

The man stood and looked at John for several seconds, smiling and twirling his mustache. Faster than either of them expected for a man his size, the Enforcer punched John hard in the stomach. John gasped for air he couldn't seem to get, an act made harder by the fact that his ribs were already bruised and his arms were suspended above his head. About the time he got straightened back up, the man hit him again in the same place.

"What kind of a fool do you take me for? I _will_ get the truth out of one of you sooner or later. Later is more acceptable with me because, you see, I rather enjoy my work." He walked over to a table while John got himself straightened up again.

"I'm _telling_ you the truth. We came here to trade and when they told us this High Chancellor guy was sick, we offered to help. We didn't realize until too late that there just wasn't anything we could do. We didn't kill him."

They watched as the Enforcer carefully put gloves on his hands. They were old, dirty gloves stained with brown splotches that appeared to be dried blood. John dared a glance at Nick. The doctor's face was drained of color and lined with fear. The man had never been tortured and John was sure going to try to avoid having this mission with him being the doc's introduction.

The Enforcer began walking back over to them. "Now, let's start again." He stopped in front of Sheppard. "Why did you kill the Chancellor?"

Sheppard laughed a small, humorless laugh. "You aren't listening to me, are you? Maybe if I talk louder. _We didn't kill the Chancellor_! The man just died. He'd be just as dead if we had never come here, which I sincerely wish we hadn't."

The Enforcer smiled right before he hit John hard in the face. When John's head snapped forward from the first blow, he hit him again with the other hand. John's head lolled to one side for a few seconds as the room swam around him in an unfocused haze. He was vaguely aware of blood running down the side of his tilted face from his nose.

"John . . . John are you okay?" Nick's fear had escalated into being one step from sheer, unadulterated panic. This guy was crazy. John had explained things to him several times and that wasn't what the guy wanted to hear. He was just going to keep beating them, and possibly worse, because he wanted to. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on calming down. John said Atlantis would come for them, he just had to believe that and hang on a little longer.

The Enforcer walked around behind John as he began lifting his head, becoming more aware. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Got lost in the fog for a minute."

The Enforcer laughed. "You are irreverent and do not know when to keep your mouth shut, do you Colonel Sheppard?"

Sheppard tried to shrug, but quickly decided that was not such a good idea between his bruised ribs and the shackles. "So I've been told. Character flaw I guess."

"Perhaps I can help you with that." He hit John in the side with his fist, putting so much power into it that John's legs were knocked out from under him and he swung to the side from his wrists. This time he grunted in pain.

"Leave him alone! Can't you see that he's already told you everything? Why are you doing this?" Nick was panting and sweating and shaking with fear and anger, the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

The Enforcer seemed startled by the outburst for a second, but quickly recovered to the smooth, unruffled expression of before. "Why Dr. Strauhan, it turns out you _can_ talk."

Sheppard struggled to get his legs under him and get back on his feet as the Enforcer walked over to Nick. "No, leave him . . . alone. I'm the . . . one you want. I'm the . . . team leader . . . he doesn't know anything."

The Enforcer tightened his gloves on his hands. "He _is_ the doctor, though, correct?" He locked his eyes with Nick's.

Nick kept his eyes on the Enforcer, refusing to look away. He's heard people say they were so afraid they could actually smell it or taste it and he'd always scoffed at that. He was beginning to understand because there was definitely something foul and unfamiliar in his mouth and he figured it had to be the fear that was at a lifetime high right now.

"Yes, I'm the doctor. I'm sorry about the Chancellor, I really am, but there just wasn't anything more I could do to save him. He was too far gone when we got here."

The Enforcer watched him for a second. "You may be telling the truth . . . or you may be telling a lie. The only way to be sure is to push you both as far as possible and see if you break."

"No," said John. "Let him go. It's not his fault. I'm the reason he came in the first place, it's my fault. Just let him go and I'll stay."

Nick was taken aback. He couldn't believe John was practically begging the guy to let Nick go and keep him to torture. The events were no more John's fault than they were Nick's. He remembered Rodney griping and calling John a self-sacrificing idiot on more than one occasion and thought he was probably seeing where that came from.

"No, you'll both stay for the interrogation. Sometimes if one won't crack, the other will. I think for now it's time to loosen you both up a bit." He nodded to the men who had brought them here and two of them moved forward. "Why don't you get them warmed up for me." Smiling, he walked over to the table and took off his gloves, sitting in the chair beside it.

The two men took up positions in front of John and Nick. At that moment it occurred to John that he wasn't going to be able to protect Nick and that their day had just gotten a whole lot worse. When the two goons began using the Lanteans as punching bags, things really began to go downhill.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Love the reviews, guys. Now it's time to turn up the heat.

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time – Chapter 3

Something was touching his shoulder, gently rubbing it. John snapped his eyes open and tried to reach up to his shoulder, but the pain in his ribs and shoulders quickly halted his motion with a groan.

"John, take it easy. Don't try to move."

"What the . . . " He blinked a couple of times to clear the fog and looked up to see Nick leaning over him. "Wow, you look like crap." He figured that was an understatement. Dried blood was smeared across Nick's face, a reminder of the bloody nose and lip he'd acquired during their interrogation. Bruises were beginning to make an appearance, including a black eye that was swelled half shut.

Nick snorted. "So, have you looked in a mirror lately? I doubt either of us get asked to the prom anytime soon."

"You already have a date, remember? Or will she be mad about all this?"

Nick ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, yeah. I was under strict orders to come back unharmed and I think it's too late for that. What really scares me is Beckett, though. He told me to bring us both back in one piece."

"A little late for that. I think I'm currently in about three pieces. If it'll make you feel any better, I'll be in hot water with both him and Elizabeth."

They sat in silence for a few seconds. "You realize we're screwed with or without a rescue, don't you?" asked Nick.

John nodded. "I think I still prefer the Atlantis version. Not so much blood."

"Definitely less blood. By the way, how do you feel?"

John sighed. "Like a jumper landed on me."

"As near as I can tell, you have several cracked ribs and a couple may be broken. I don't think there's internal bleeding, at least not yet. We'd better keep an eye on that though."

"So, you've been playing doctor while I was out. Very sneaky."

"You make it sound so dirty," said Nick, frowning as if he'd eaten something sour.

John started trying to sit up, but Nick pushed him back down. "You need to stay put and keep the pressure off your ribs."

"And who's playing doctor for you?"

"I'm fine, just a little bruised. I think you took the worst of it."

Sheppard frowned and eyed him critically. "Are you sure? It looked to me like they were hitting you about as hard as they were hitting me."

"Maybe so, but I didn't go a round with the Enforcer before the side party started. I'm all right, just a little sore. And thanks . . . for trying to get them to leave me alone. I really wish you wouldn't do that though. This is no more your fault than it is mine."

"No, but my job is to protect you, and if I can, that's what I'm going to do. I just don't happen to be doing a very good job at the moment. Besides," he smiled. "I think I heard you yelling at him to leave me alone, if I'm not mistaken."

The door wrenched open, startling them both. The same four goons came in and jerked them to their feet. John was so dizzy the first few steps that he almost passed back out. They took them back to the same room and shackled their arms over their heads again.

"Man, and I was just starting to get the feeling back in my hands," moaned John.

The Enforcer walked up to stand in front of them, smiling as he looked John over and then Nick. "I see the boys got you properly warmed up. Maybe we can make some progress now." He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked very much like a set of brass knuckles.

"Oh my god, you have got to be kidding," mumbled John. "This just gets better and better."

The Enforcer cocked an eyebrow at him. "Good, I'm glad you are enjoying my little party. Why don't we let you get things started for the evening by telling me why you killed the Chancellor."

John leaned his head against his arm and sighed loudly. "So, I guess this means you didn't get a battery for that hearing aide like I suggested, huh?"

Nick winced, wondering how John could keep popping wisecracks. Not only was he too afraid to think of anything to say, he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to get himself to say it anyway. John was practically asking for trouble when they were already in heaps of it. He was beginning to wish he had a gag.

The Enforcer lunged forward as he plowed his meaty arm and brass-knuckles endowed hand into John's midriff. He quickly pulled back and punched John several times. John's legs had given way at the first punch and his body began to spin, so every blow landed in a different place – the front, then the side, then the back, then the other side. John continued to spin with the momentum from the blows long after the Enforcer had stopped hitting him.

Nick wasn't sure if he was conscious or not since he was still spinning in a circle and his head was bowed, his chin on his chest.

"John, are you okay?"

John didn't answer, but the Enforcer stepped over to stand in front of Nick. "Perhaps you would like to explain what you are really doing on our planet? What did you hope to gain?"

Nick just looked at the man and his fear suddenly became manageable. The man was going to beat him and nothing would stop him. They would either be rescued soon or they would die at his hands, of that he was certain. He briefly wished he'd told Kelly he loved her one more time before stepping through the gate, because he was afraid he would never see her again. But he took comfort in the fact that she loved him, and she knew that he loved her. He looked over at John, hanging from the shackles as he tried to pull his head up and focus in on the world around him. Drawing strength from John's courage, he glared at the Enforcer; he knew he could do this.

Nick stood up a little straighter. "There's really no use in me answering you with same answers we've already given. You don't care that we are telling the truth, so why don't you just do what you're going to do and get it over with."

The Enforcer smiled. "You know, you're starting to sound like him." He motioned towards Sheppard with his head. "That's not a good thing."

Nick returned the man's smile. "I beg to differ. I think you just paid me a compliment."

"Maybe I can change your mind." The Enforcer punched Nick in much the same way he had punched John in the abdomen, continuing his assault as Nick spun and weaved. He was pretty sure he had never felt explosions of pain like the ones raining down on him now. He was having a hard time drawing a breath when someone threw a bucket of cold water on him, causing him to gasp desperately for air. He pushed himself to his feet as he furiously sucked in a deep breath. Clearing his head and shivering from the wet cold, he looked over to John, who stood, wet and shivering, with his head resting against his up stretched arm.

"Are we having fun yet?" John asked weakly.

Nick closed his eyes a second. "Oh, yeah. Having a blast." He opened them to see the Enforcer standing next to the table where he had put his gloves during their first encounter. He picked up a stick about two feet long with a handle at one end and a nasty looking thing with four prongs at the other. He glanced at Sheppard to find him looking his direction with an expression that said this was not going to be good.

"This is my favorite toy. Are you familiar with the neurodisrupter?"

"No," said Sheppard. "Don't think we've been introduced."

The Enforcer's smile got bigger, if that was possible. "Oh, good. By all means, let me explain. It interacts with your neural pathways to paralyze you, while causing severe muscle contractions and stimulating multiple pain receptors. I've been told that it is very painful for several hours. It renders you quite incapable of movement, but not exactly unconscious, at least not for a while. So Colonel Sheppard, would you like to tell me what you are doing on this planet or would you like a more personal introduction?"

John looked at the stick with fear and dread as he licked his lips and tried to prepare for the inevitable. He knew it didn't matter what he said, the Enforcer was dying to poke someone with his toy and here was John, all trussed up like a chicken . . . or maybe hanging meat. "Go to hell."

"As you wish."

Nick was beginning to understand what John was doing, but it didn't make it any easier to watch. They were going to torture them just for the sake of doing it and there wasn't anything the two men could do about it. John was being a smart-aleck partly as an outlet for his frustration and partly to attract as much attention to himself as possible, sparing Nick some of the pain. He wanted to slap him and hug him at the same time.

The Enforcer pushed the stick forward, burying the four half-inch prongs in John's belly while pressing the trigger mechanism in the handle. John gave one quick yelp before his body began to convulse violently as he hung by his arms.

"Take him down! He's going to hurt himself like that, take him down!" yelled Nick. He couldn't look and yet he couldn't look away. John's body continued to jerk even after the Enforcer pulled the stick back, leaving four trails of blood running down his abdomen and soaking into the waist of his pants. Nick had seen people have convulsions, but never while hanging like that and it shook him to the core. "Please take him down, please."

The Enforcer nodded to the men standing against the wall and two of them moved forward, releasing John's arms so that he fell to the ground with a thud. His body continued to jerk and spasm, although not as violently as before. To Nick's surprise, the men then released him. He immediately went to John's side, trying to straighten John's crumpled form out while nursing his own aching ribs.

"I'll give you some time to tend to him and think about what you need to tell me in the next session. If I don't hear what I need to hear, you will both be treated to the disrupter next time and there will be no one to tend to either of you. Think about that doctor. Take them back to their cell."

Once again they were hauled to their feet and back to their cell, where the door was opened and they were literally thrown in. Nick crawled over to John and tried to make him comfortable. Looking down, he saw that John's eyes were open a slit, but he had no control of his body. His limbs periodically shook with tremors, reminding him of the way spider legs jerk after you squish the life out of them. Uncontrolled muscle spasms.

"John, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I'm here. Just hang on." He remembered what the Enforcer had said about pain receptors and he watched John's eyes, looking for signs that he was in pain. He didn't much like what he saw.

The instant the prongs from the stick jabbed into his stomach, John decided he must be in hell. Somewhere along the way, he died and went to hell and he just hadn't realized it until now. He was pretty sure he'd never felt pain like that. Maybe the iratus bug for the first few minutes after it attached, but even that wasn't this intense. He could feel his body jerking, out of control, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. It was like his brain and his muscles were no longer connected. If he could speak, he would have begged them to shoot him.

Now that they were back in the cell, the jerking was not quite so bad, but the pain had never really let up. He wanted to scream and pull his hair, or maybe bash his head against the wall, but he couldn't move. He couldn't even blink. His vision had shrunk to a long, narrow tunnel with the doctor peeking at him from the other end. He wanted to tell him how bad it hurt, which made no sense since he couldn't do anything to help at the moment.

He wouldn't have been able to explain the pain anyway. There were flashes of pain in a dozen places at once, cycling again and again. Some were like being cut and some like being burned and some like part of him was just exploding. Slicing pain shot intermittently through his head, temple to temple and then front to back, ending by sliding down his spinal cord and shooting out into his limbs. Every jerk and spasm served to intensify whatever pain was present at the moment.

He was aware of motion that seemed to increase the pain for a few seconds and then it stopped. Nick had placed his head in his lap, trying to make him more comfortable. The cold was beginning to seep in with the pain and he wished he had his shirt and jacket. Mostly he just wished the team would come for them. Carson and the infirmary and some really good pains meds were looking mighty fine about now. If only he could just pass out because this was maddening.

oOo

Elizabeth Weir stepped out of her office at the sound of the gate alarm. "Who is it?" she asked as she walked into the gateroom with Rodney McKay hobbling along on crutches behind her.

"Just a second . . . Teyla's IDC coming through."

Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up. "Lower the shield."

"What are they doing back already? They've only been gone a little over an hour," said Rodney. "They barely had time to walk to the town and walk back."

They watched as Teyla and Ronon emerged from the wormhole, both their expressions and movements displaying anger and anxiety. When they spotted Elizabeth and Rodney, they immediately hurried up the stairs.

"You weren't gone very long," said Elizabeth. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes, Dr. Weir, there is a big problem. The Chancellor died before we could return with the medical supplies and the people are very upset. They have taken Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Strauhan prisoner." Teyla's expression mirrored her concern.

Elizabeth sighed heavily. Why was there always a problem? She hit her radio button. "Dr. Beckett, this is Dr. Weir. You're needed in the conference room immediately. We have a problem."

"Aye, I'll be right there." Elizabeth was pretty sure she heard him mutter something about bloody fools before he turned his radio off.

oOo

"Nick?"

Nick's head jerked up, his eyes trying to focus quickly on the surroundings. "What?" He looked around and, after a few seconds, remembered where he was. He looked down at John, his head in Nick's lap as Nick sat propped up against the wall. He shivered, realizing how cold he was and how asleep his butt was. They could have at least returned their shirts.

"John? Was that you?" John's eyes were more open now than they had been earlier and they looked a little more focused.

"Yeah . . . need to . . . sit up."

Nick carefully slid out from under him and helped him sit up against the wall. John's movements were sluggish, weak, and uncoordinated, but at least he was moving and talking. "How do you feel?" He watched John's eyes to try and determine how much pain he was in.

"Been . . . better . . . really hurt." John hated this. He still didn't have good control and it was almost impossible just to form words and get them out. He could still feel remnant muscle spasms and flashes of pain every few minutes and he watched as his right hand twitched for several seconds.

Nick saw it too. "It hasn't gone completely away, has it?"

"No." Sheppard grimaced and closed his eyes a second.

"John, is it getting worse?"

"No . . . had a thought . . . think when . . . he jabbed me . . . " He shook his head and looked away.

Nick frowned, worried about what was bothering him so much. "What is it? Just tell me."

"Nothin'."

"Something is bothering you. Look, I'm your doctor. If you don't want me to tell anyone, I won't. But you have to tell me what's going on so I can help you."

John closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. "No . . . not sure . . . and you can't help."

"Okay, you're not sure. What are you not sure about?"

John was silent for several seconds, prompting Nick to wonder if he had dozed off. And then, his voice shaking, he answered him. "May have . . . wet my pants."

Nick sat with his mouth open for a few seconds before laughing out loud. John's eyes flashed open and he frowned, shocked that his friend would laugh at him when he had told him something so humiliating.

"I'm sorry, that's it? That's what you're afraid of? They're hauling us down there and beating the snot out of us and stabbing you with the mother of all cattle prods and you're worried you may have wet your pants when all your nerves and muscles got turned to jello? John, who cares? Have you looked at us lately? Have you smelled us lately? We stink my dear man, plain and simple. Between the dirt and the sweat and the blood, how would anyone notice?"

John just stared at Nick for several seconds like he was in shock, and then slowly a grin spread across his face and he began to laugh. The two men laughed for several minutes until tears wet their cheeks. The pain and the humiliation and the frustration fed the hysterical emotional release until they could barely breathe and they lay back against the stone floor, exhausted.

"Think we're losing it," said Sheppard when they had rested long enough for their breathing to slow to normal.

"Nope, already lost it," said Nick.

They lay in silence for several more seconds until both men heard and felt the footsteps of the Enforcer's men returning for them. Simultaneously they raised their head from the floor a few inches and looked at one another.

"So, when exactly can we expect this rescue, because I'm thinking now would be good," said Nick as his stomach began to knot and tighten.

"No idea," replied John. "But I hope it's soon. I'm not sure I can do that again."

The door to the cell banged open and both men jumped. They were definitely in the wrong place this time.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks again for the great feedback – giving me goose bumps.

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time - Chapter 4

John and Nick found themselves once again shackled in what they had come to refer to as the torture room. The Enforcer was waiting for them, grinning as he fingered the neurodisrupter sitting on the table. Nick pretended not to notice John flinch at the sight of the torture device. The Enforcer lifted the object and strolled over to John, holding the prongs in front of his face.

"So, how did you like my little toy?"

John had tucked his fear away and defiance once again broadcast from his stance and tone of voice. "Great. I'm assuming you take it to all the good parties."

The Enforcer sneered. "Still insolent, I see. We'll see how long you last. Once again, why did you kill the Chancellor?"

Sheppard glared at the man for several seconds before smiling broadly and saying, "Go to hell. Go directly to hell. Do not pass go and definitely do not collect $200." Nick's heart literally jumped into his throat. If they ever made it out of this, he was making sure John spent some serious time on Heightmeyer's couch. McKay had not been exaggerating.

The Enforcer circled Sheppard once, twice, building the tension as he went. John was refusing to follow him with his eyes, instead staring straight ahead. He tried to tense himself, waiting for the blow. It came from behind on the Enforcer's third round, jabbing him in the center of the lower back as hard as he could. A strangled cry escaped Sheppard as his body began to shake and jerk. His torturer held the stick against him forcefully as Sheppard's body convulsed, finally removing it after what seemed to Nick like an eternity.

"Stop, stop, stop!" It took Nick several seconds to realize it was him screaming in panic as he watched the horror in front of him. "Please stop, take him down." The manacles holding him up had already scraped his wrists until the blood ran freely down his arms. The severe movements had stopped, but John still twitched and shook as he hung limply from the shackles.

Nick was sweating profusely with fear, his stomach clenched down in a tight knot. He was terrified for John and he was becoming afraid for himself, remembering the Enforcer's earlier words that they would both get it this time. He took a deep breath. If John could endure it, so could he, although he'd prefer a rescue team broke through the door about now. He looked hopefully toward the door. Nope. No rescue team there.

"All right Dr. Strauhan, let's see if your manners are any better than Colonel Sheppard's. Tell me what I want to know."

Nick looked like a light had just gone on in his head. "Oh, tell you what you _want_ to know, not the truth. Well, why didn't you just say so earlier. Okay, what you _want _to know . . . okay, how's this? Even though we had no idea if this planet even had people on it when we got here, as soon as we came into town and met the Chancellor, we decided to kill him. We didn't really have a plan or a reason. So we sent two of our people away to get medicine for him, you know, since we were about to kill him and all, that way we'd be more likely to get caught and tortured when the guy died. And we carefully timed it so our people wouldn't get back in time to help us escape. We did all this in the interest of creating chaos and getting to meet you and your torture stick personally because we're raving lunatics. So, did you like that fairy tale any better than the truth, because that seems to get us nowhere."

The Enforcer had lost his smile by now and Nick didn't figure that was a good thing. His eyes narrowed at Nick as he drew his mouth up into a smirk. "You think you are funny. How funny do you think this is?"

Nick prepared to have the stick jabbed into him like John had. But the Enforcer pulled a cruel joke. He walked over the stand behind John's hanging form and grin at Nick.

"No!" cried Nick as loud as he could just as the man stabbed the prongs of the stick into the base of John's neck. John's body began to convulse violently once again, strangled attempts to breathe the only sounds he produced. The Enforcer continued to hold the stick against John, setting the thing off again and again.

Nick could watch it no more. He pulled back and swung forward, striking out at the Enforcer with his legs. He connected even more soundly than he had hoped, knocking the stick out of the Enforcer's hands as he tumbled to the ground. Guards were on Nick in a second, hitting him in the face and stomach until he was barely conscious. Nick's world grayed out for a few minutes, but came back into sharp clarity as someone jerked his head up by his hair. The Enforcer, red faced and obviously infuriated, stood before him.

"I have had enough of both of you. I have never seen such defiance and foolishness in those being interrogated. The questions are over. You will both be put to death tomorrow. I have a parting gift for you to enjoy while you await your execution." He laughed as he stood back and thrust the prongs into Nick's chest, causing Nick's world to explode in pure agony.

oOo

Elizabeth entered the conference room quickly, talking as she made her way to her seat. She was wearing a tac vest and a side arm, an unusual look for the expedition leader, and it took those present a little off guard.

"All right, Major Lorne, why don't you explain what we've come up with."

Lorne immediately began filling everyone in. "We have four jumpers full of marines. We all go through the gate cloaked. When we get to the town, your jumper and one more will land and the marines will escort you to the Council. You make our plea to get Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Strauhan released. If they refuse, you threaten to take them by force. If they still refuse, the cloaked jumpers will give them a sampling of our fire power. That should be enough to convince them to release our guys. From what Teyla and Ronon have described, they don't seem especially advanced in military weapons."

Elizabeth nodded. "Does anyone have any questions or suggestions?"

"Where will we be?" asked Beckett nervously.

Lorne turned to Beckett. "Doc, you and the medical team will be in one of the cloaked jumpers. You should be safe there since we're pretty sure they don't have the firepower to come after a jumper, much less the technology to find a cloaked one. Your jumper will land when we find the colonel and the doc to take them aboard."

McKay frowned and looked around the room, coming back to Elizabeth. "Why do you need to go? It could be dangerous. Surely Ronon or Teyla or Major Lorne could deliver the ultimatum."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, I'm sure they could. But I'm the leader of the expedition and I should be the one to do this. Anything else?"

No one else said anything. "All right, let's load up. We have two men probably being tortured as we speak. They've already been there far too long and we need to get them out of there." On the way out, Elizabeth stopped beside Rodney. "Rodney, don't worry. I'll be careful and we'll bring them both back."

Rodney grunted before looking up at her. "I wish I was going. I think it's my turn to rescue Sheppard and I'm missing my turn."

Elizabeth grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "You can make it up to him later. I'll tell him you wanted to come help."

"Not the same," he muttered as Elizabeth hurried from the room, heading for the waiting jumper. He had no doubt they'd bring Sheppard and Strauhan back, he just wondered what shape they'd be in.

oOo

It seemed forever after Nick came to before he could actually move his limbs enough to pull himself up into a sitting position. His head felt like it was going to explode and nerve tremors racked his body. Once the room had settled a bit, he looked around for John. He saw him lying face down about three feet to his right, his body occasionally twitching. It was several more minutes before he could make his way over to his friend.

Nick snagged John's arm and pulled him over closer, so he could continue to lean against the wall for support. He wasn't sure he was capable of sitting up unaided just yet. He put his hand on John's neck to feel for his pulse. He could feel the twitching muscles underneath his fingers as he timed the racing pulse. A few minutes later, a low moan caused him to open his eyes again, making him aware he'd almost dozed off. He glanced down at the figure beside him.

"John . . . can you hear me buddy?"

John's eyes fluttered open and he opened his mouth, inhaling deeply. Nick put his hand on John's arm. "Just take it easy for a minute. Get your bearings."

John could feel his heart racing and his breaths coming too fast. Muscle tremors raced through his body, making him shake all over. He didn't feel like he had any muscle control yet, and the random muscle contractions were laced with pain, shooting down his legs from his lower back and up into his head from the base of his neck. There was a loud buzzing in his ears, making it hard to hear and his thoughts seemed fogged and unfocused. He tilted his head to one side to see Nick better, and hot fire stabbed into the back of his neck, momentarily taking his breath away. He closed his eyes and gasped for a moment.

"Easy, John, just lay still. He hit you twice with that torture stick of his and I'm sure it's probably compounded the effects."

It was several minutes later before John was able to open his eyes and try looking at Nick again. He was afraid of what might have happened after he'd passed out. He saw new bruises on Nick's face and relatively fresh blood. His nose had obviously been bleeding, along with a new cut on his cheek.

"Wha . . . wha . . . " John found he couldn't seem to form the words he wanted and his anger and frustration grew.

"It's okay, it'll come back in a few minutes. Just be patient. I'm afraid you're rubbing off on me and I've gotten us into even more trouble. I told him a fairy tale and he wasn't amused. He took it out on you first and hit you with that bloody torture stick in the back of the neck. I'm hoping he didn't fry your brain or spinal cord. I sort of kicked it out of his hands, so he announced he was tired of us and that we would die tomorrow. And then he introduced me to his toy."

Sheppard's expression changed to worry as his brow furrowed and he looked like he was going to try to speak again. Nick intercepted him.

"Oh, by the way, you remember that conversation we had earlier that you found so embarrassing? I think I may have joined you on that one," he said smiling.

"S'okay," John managed to slur. He concentrated on what he needed to say, telling himself he could do this. "Need . . . sit up."

Nick started to tell him no, but then thought better of it. They would either get rescued tomorrow or die. Or was it tomorrow already? He had no idea how much time had passed, much less whether it was day or night. While running these questions through his mind, he leaned over and helped John sit up against the wall next to him.

John was barely able to hold himself in an upright position, even leaned against the wall. He knew they had to get out of there soon or there wouldn't be anything left to rescue. He wished he knew how much time they had, because he wasn't going anywhere for a while. He focused his energy on trying to control his body enough to function while he tried to figure out how to get them out before they ended up dead.

oOo

Elizabeth stood as tall and firm as she could before the counsel members sitting at the table. "I have explained this several times and, frankly, it's getting old. I honestly can't tell if you people are stalling or if you really are this stupid. The team led by Colonel Sheppard was merely looking for trade partners. If you were not interested, all you had to do was say so and they would have left. From what Teyla and Ronon have told me, all they did was try to help your Chancellor Gaylen, who was already very ill. It was not their fault they got here too late to help him. All we want is to get our people back and we will be very happy to leave and never visit your planet again."

"The fact still remains that some of our people feel your Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Strauhan may have done something to hasten the Chancellor's demise and therefore, by our law, they must be interrogated and punished." The old man that was speaking sighed as if highly annoyed and sat back in his chair.

"And tell me about this interrogation. Exactly what are they doing to my people? They've been in your hands for nearly two days now. I want to see them and make sure they are unharmed," demanded Elizabeth, her patience all but gone.

"That is not possible. They have yet to confess to their deeds, so the Enforcer is finding it necessary to encourage them. He reports that they are very stubborn."

A young man entered the room and went over one of the council members and began whispering to them. Elizabeth turned to Major Lorne. "I'm about ready to start with the threats. It's like they don't hear anything I say."

Lorne nodded. "I agree. They just keep repeating the same arguments without regard to any of the points you've made. They have their mind made up and they aren't going to waver."

Elizabeth noticed that the message runner had left, so she turned her attention back to the counsel.

"I have just received some news of your men," stated the old man. "They have refused to cooperate and attacked the Enforcer. He says this proves their guilt and he has called for their execution later today."

Elizabeth's expression hardened and voice became cold. "You will release my men immediately or we will take them by force."

The old man stammered and looked to the other counsel members, all of them shocked. Apparently they were used to getting their way without question. "Dr. Weir, I have just explained to you –"

"You have explained nothing. You just keep rattling on about your ways. Well your ways are archaic and barbaric and completely unfair. My people did nothing but try to help and if you are too arrogant and backwards to see that, then I'm through negotiating. You will deliver Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Strauhan to me now or we will take them by force, even if we have to destroy every building in this town to find them. Do I make myself clear?"

The old man stood up, trying to look defiant. "We are not afraid of you."

Elizabeth nodded to Lorne, who tapped his radio. "Time for a demonstration. Try to start out with an unoccupied structure, just to make our point."

"Roger that."

The Lanteans stood smugly as a few seconds later, the sound of an explosion rocked the building. The counsel all jumped up and ran to the door, while Elizabeth and Lorne smiled knowingly at one another. Now maybe these people would listen.

oOo

"They're coming," whispered John.

"I know," said Nick quietly, the fear beginning to clamp down his stomach and flow through his veins.

"I don't know if they're coming to get us for another torture session or lead us to our execution, but it doesn't really matter. I'm _not_ going another round with that Neurotorture device thingy and I'm not going quietly to my own execution, so either way, we make our move now."

Nick took a deep breath, trying to fortify his courage and resolve. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

John chuckled. "There is no plan. We're winging it."

Nick's eyes widened. "What? What do you mean, there is no plan? I thought there was always a plan. I thought there was a plan A, plan B, and sometimes a plan C."

John shrugged his shoulders. "What can I tell you? Sometimes we have the time and info to make a plan and sometimes we don't. This is a don't. I'll look for an opening and you just follow my lead."

Nick nodded and mumbled to himself. "Follow your lead, follow your lead." He suddenly looked up and opened his mouth to ask John what in the heck that meant, but it was too late. The guards opened the door with its usual bang. He drew in a deep breath and hoped he could figure out what following John's lead was when the time came.

The two guards walked in and each grabbed a prisoner by the arm and jerked him up. John doubled over, as if in pain, and when the guard tried to compensate for the shift in weight, John suddenly straightened, plowing the back of his clenched fist into the man's nose. The guard immediately dropped to the ground in agony and John slammed the man's head over, smacking it soundly against the wall. The unconscious guard slid over to his side and lay still.

As soon as John hit the first guard, the second dropped Nick's arm and headed over to help restrain John. Nick kicked the man in the side, knocking him over, and then jumped on top of him, pinning his arms to his side. The two struggled for several seconds before John came over and hit the downed man in the face, knocking him out. Nick leaned over on the man, panting partially from the exertion and partially from the adrenalin coursing through his body.

John was standing, leaning heavily against the wall, muscle tremors still causing his hands to shake. Both men were near collapse from exhaustion, the beatings, and lack of food and water. John stepped forward and took Nick's arm.

"Come on . . . gotta get outta here."

Nick stumbled to his feet. "Okay, coming. Was that okay?"

"Yeah, great. See, you don't always need a plan." John weaved and leaned against the wall as they made their way down the hall.

"Guess not. It'd be easier on the nerves though."

"Shhh." John put his fingers to his lips as they neared the door to the torture room. He slowly peeked around the corner. The Enforcer was sitting in a chair on the far side of the room, his head dipped down to his chest as he snored. John grinned at Nick, the wild look in his eyes scaring Nick just a bit. "One more thing," he whispered. "Wait here."

Nick watched as John slipped quietly into the room. He moved like fluid swiftly across the floor to the table and picked up the neurodisrupter. Standing back from the Enforcer, he watched the man for a few seconds, deciding whether or not to wake him. He was spared the decision as the Enforcer snorted and lifted his head to look into John's eyes just before he stabbed the prongs into the man's belly and activated the device. John jumped back as the man began to twitch and jerk, plopping helplessly onto the floor.

"How does that feel, you yellow-bellied sack of shit?" John raised the stick over his head and brought it down hard on the end of the table, breaking the device into several pieces. Throwing the part remaining in his hand across the room, he turned and made his way back to Nick, rushing past him without so much as a backward glance. Nick just grunted and hurried to catch up.

They found themselves at the door to the underground prison, looking out into the edge of a forest. They had to shield their eyes and squint for several minutes as their eyes adjusted to the increased brightness. The prison was apparently at the far end of town as they didn't see many buildings near this one. They thought it odd that they hadn't encountered any more guards, but chalked it up to a lack of experience dealing with prisoners trying to escape. The one guard they found outside was easily dispatched by Sheppard and then they were running into the forest.

They ran for a long time, until they both collapsed into the dirt and leaves on the forest floor. They panted heavily and curled up against their burning lungs and aching ribs. John was still fighting pains shooting down his legs and up into his head and neck, but he didn't say anything for fear of alarming Nick. He still had residual muscle tremors, but he had seen a few in Nick as well.

"We . . . need to . . . find . . . shelter," John managed to get out between gasps.

"Can we . . . catch . . . breath first?"

"Yeah . . . just a . . . minute."

They actually lay there almost ten minutes before either of them could catch their breath enough to even consider getting up. They leaned on each other as they struggled to their feet.

"Gotta keep moving," said John.

"What about our rescue?"

"We couldn't wait. We'll rest tonight and try to start working our way back to the gate tomorrow." John led the way through the trees, hoping to find a source of water and somewhere they could rest. They hadn't slept more than a few hours over the last two or three days and they were both exhausted. They walked another hour before they found a clear running stream.

"Finally, some water." John got down on his hands and knees and prepared to scoop up a drink.

"Wait," said Nick. "Just because it looks clean doesn't mean it is."

John just looked at him "Do you have any way to clean it?"

Nick stared at him several seconds, then sighed and hung his head. "No."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm thirsty and we're both probably dehydrated. I have no idea when we'll be getting back to Atlantis. I'll take my chances."

He scooped up some water in his hand and began drinking.

Nick looked longingly at the water. He eventually sat down and began drinking too. "Oh well, we can't be in much more trouble that we're already in."

John grinned. "That's the spirit."

oOo

"What do you mean they're gone?" demanded Elizabeth angrily as she was led down the long, dark hallway to an empty cell. Two guards were there, being treated by some of the town's version of medical personnel.

"They knocked out their guards and escaped," explained the skinny, pale man who was escorting them.

"Look," said Lorne, pointing to smears of blood on the floor. The blood was dry, but obviously not very old and was nowhere near the two injured guards. Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath.

"You're men are lucky he didn't kill them," said Elizabeth to their guide.

The pale man snorted and smiled. "They could not kill the guards, they were unarmed."

Elizabeth arched one eyebrow as a cold smile spread across her face. "You aren't listening to me. I said your men are lucky Colonel Sheppard didn't kill them, weapons or no weapons. He chose to leave them alive. Personally, in light of the way they were being treated, I think he showed great restraint."

The man paled even farther as he stammered, the meaning of Elizabeth's words sinking in. "He . . . he can kill with his hands?" His voice squeaked slightly and his eyes were wide.

"Easily," said Lorne. "And he's put down more than two scrawny guards at a time. I'm surprised he didn't break out sooner. He was probably hoping to get you people to listen to reason so it wouldn't come to this."

"Oh my," sighed the man.

"Where is this Enforcer? I want to speak to him, _now_," said Elizabeth.

"I don't think that is possible. He was also injured by your people."

"Show me," she demanded.

The skinny man led them part way down the hall to a room. When they entered, they could smell blood and sweat and urine. Two sets of shackles hung from the ceiling and none of them missed the blood on both sets. A medical person was tending to a large man sitting propped up in a chair. He was trembling and shaking, muscle spasms randomly causing parts of his body to twitch. Several pieces of a broken device littered the floor and table.

"Is this him?" asked Elizabeth, taking note of the obvious use of the room.

"Yes, ma'am, but he can't speak right now. One of them hit him with the neurodisrupter and the effects take several hours to wear off. It causes severe muscle spasms and tremors and loss of muscle control."

"And how many times did he use that thing on Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Strauhan?" asked Major Lorne, knowing they would not have been spared that.

"I. . . I don't know. You would have to ask the Enforcer."

Elizabeth's jaw line tightened. "I've seen enough. No wonder they escaped. They were being tortured for trying to help a dying man. We will be searching your planet until we find our men and no one had better get in our way or hinder our search. When we find them, we will be taking them home. I do not expect there to be any interference."

Ronon and Teyla had come up to stand beside Lorne, their faces reflecting their worry and anger. Ronon growled at the man.

The skinny man nodded, obviously terrified. "I will go inform the counsel of what has happened and about your . . . warning." He hurried out the room and down the hall.

"You do that," mumbled Ronon.

Elizabeth turned to face them. "We've got to find them and it's not going to be easy. They'll be running and hiding from these people, not knowing it's us looking for them."

"We'll find them," said Teyla confidently.

Ronon nodded. "We won't quit until we do."

Elizabeth smiled, glad the two of them were on her side "Okay, let's go get them. Like John always says, we don't leave people behind."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Note:** Many thanks to Rogue1503 for helping with this chapter. She made some pretty dramatic improvements! Also thanks for all the reviews. I'm really working to keep it updated.

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time – Chapter 5

"We need to get moving," said John, rolling his head over to look at Nick. They were both lying on the ground, having pretty much collapsed after drinking their fill. John sat up, groaning softly at the pull on his ribs and the flaring aches in his muscles. Using a nearby tree to pull himself to his feet, he walked over to stand by Nick, extending his hand toward the exhausted doctor. "Come on buddy, I'll give you a hand."

Nick looked up at John, noting the trails and smears of dried blood on his face, chest, and abdomen. Bruises were blooming in living technicolor, while scrapes and abrasions were scattered across his torso, most likely from the "brass knuckles" the Enforcer had used on them. He knew he didn't look a whole lot better. He couldn't; because he sure didn't feel it. Reaching up, he took John's hand and used the leverage to pull himself to his feet, unable to stop his limbs from shaking the straighter he got. "Maybe we should try to clean up a bit while we're here by the water," he suggested to John, wheezing at the exertion of standing.

"No time. We have to keep moving. Besides, cleaning our wounds might result in opening some of them back up and then we'll leave a blood trail; definitely not a good look when you're trying to blend in. C'mon, let's go."

Nick sighed and rubbed his neck while rolling his head around to relieve some of the tension. He hadn't thought of that, but he knew John was right. The doctor in him just kept thinking of all the infections they were probably incubating. More down time in the infirmary under Carson's glare. He could almost hear his boss scolding him. _Didn't they teach you to clean wounds properly in medical school? And what do you mean dragging around the woods all night with those ribs? Really Nick, I would'a thought…_

"Nick?"

Nick looked over at John, staring at him with a frown. "I said we need to move."

Nick grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I was just thinking about something."

John's expression lightened as he gave a small smile. "I'll try to keep him from killing you. You can blame me for not letting you do your job and I'll just inform him I was doing mine."

Nick snorted. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"Oh, please. You're almost as easy to read as Carson. You guys are two peas in a pod." John waded into the stream and began walking.

"John, why are you walking in the stream?"

John explained without stopping, so Nick waded in to follow him. "Oh, shoot, that's cold."

"Yeah, it is a bit chilly. You'll be numb in a few minutes and it won't be so bad. So far we've left a trail so obvious even Rodney could follow it. Now that we have a little distance between us and those nuts, we have to start being a little more careful." Nick waited for him to catch his breath, concentrating on each foot fall in the freezing water, hoping neither of them ended up in a hole or worse - twisting an ankle, or a knee. After a couple of minutes of companionable silence that had each of the weary men finding their rhythm in the freezing water, John continued through raspy exhausted breaths.

"I'm not sure how good a lead we got before they discovered us missing . . . but we have to keep ahead of them . . . until we can make it back to the gate. If we're lucky . . . we'll have a rescue team . . . waiting on us."

Nick was almost afraid to ask, but knew he needed to. "What if we aren't lucky."

John didn't reply straight away; and again the only sounds were of the sloshing of each footfall and the puffing of each man.

"Then we'll deal with that when it comes."

Nick followed in relative silence for several more minutes. "How do you think of all this stuff?" Slosh, slosh, slosh, slosh. "I'm taking it this isn't the first time . . . " Slosh, slosh, slosh. " . . . you've done this kind of thing."

John chuckled, then coughed at the exertion. "Not even the first time in this galaxy."

They walked in the cold, running water of the creek for quite a while before John found a rocky spot that he was satisfied was good enough to hide their exit. They stepped out of the stream, their feet and lower legs numb. Nick gasped, his breathing ragged as the coldness of the fresh air assaulted him, suddenly wishing he was back in the stream. His stomach clenched and shook with the chill to his limbs.

They had only walked a few steps when John felt a hot pain shoot from his lower back down into his legs, causing his legs to fold up underneath him. With no time to recover or prepare himself, he crashed to the forest floor with a grunt.

"John!" yelled Nick, kneeling beside the fallen pilot, his own pains forgotten. "What happened? What's wrong?"

John found it hard to breathe at first, much less talk, as the shooting pains combined with muscle tremors and cramps. Nick held him, his eyes darting up and down the pilot's body looking for the cause of the sudden debilitating pain. After lying stiff legged for several seconds, John suddenly curled up as the muscles in the back of his thighs and lower legs began to cramp miserably. He closed his eyes tightly, his body beginning to tremble until finally, after what seemed like years, the cramps started subsiding. All the while John had tried vainly to concentrate on the steadying hold Nick had on him; unwavering, secure. He finally relaxed his tight grip on his legs, lying limp as a rag for several seconds as he tried to catch his breath.

"John, you have to tell me what's happening." Nick swallowed hard, the fear and worry forming a dead weight in his stomach like he'd swallowed a rock. His hand started to tremble slightly as he held onto John's shoulder and he wasn't sure if it was fear or leftovers from the torture device.

"I'm . . . okay," whispered John, panting and trying to focus on his surroundings. "Legs . . . still numb."

Nick snorted. "Don't even try that mister. There's no way that was from the water. My legs are numb too, but you don't see me belly-flopping on the ground and doing a fish out of water impression. Must be from that neurodisrupter thing. Can you try and straighten out for me… just try and relax into my hands."

"Just give me . . . a minute."

Both men worked on controlling their breathing for the next couple of minutes. John finally began trying to sit up again and Nick grabbed his shoulder and placed one hand behind his back, helping push him up. He let John steady himself for a few seconds.

"Help me up," John said softly.

Nick wasn't sure that was a good idea, but realized they didn't have much choice, the seriousness and reality of their situation foremost in his mind. He helped John stand and then supported most of his weight as his legs began folding up again. John stood with one arm around Nick's shoulders and one against a tree, wheezing from the effort until he convinced his legs to support his weight.

"Sorry about that," John panted, pulling away from Nick and trying to take a few tentative steps.

"Can you make it?" asked Nick, looking very uncertain.

John turned back and smiled at him. "Piece of cake."

Nick snorted as he remembered his conversation with Carson. "Not bloody likely"

oOo

"What is it?" asked Teyla as Ronon knelt beside the stream. It had finally gotten dark and Teyla had the light of her P90 turned on. Several soldiers were still systematically searching through the woods around them.

"Sheppard's been sloppy up until now, leaving an obvious trail. I think they were working for distance and not trying to hide their path. Now he's slowed down and started to get careful. They drank at the stream here and rested for a few minutes, but there is no trail leading away."

Teyla nodded, understanding the methods being employed by her fleeing CO. "What now?"

Ronon nodded to the stream. "The only conclusion is that they took to the stream to hide their tracks. They could have gone either direction, but my bet is that way." He motioned upstream.

"Why that way?" asked Elizabeth, having come up behind them.

Ronon stood and looked down at the expedition leader. "Because the other way he was likely to run into guards searching for them. You should send people both ways, just in case, but I'm going upstream." With that, Ronon started walking upstream. Teyla nodded at her and followed.

Elizabeth turned back to Lorne. "Is the jumper having any luck picking them up on the sensors?"

Lorne sighed wistfully. "No, there's some kind of interference. They can track our radio signals, but not us directly, so they can't pick up Colonel Sheppard or Dr. Strauhan either."

"All right, I guess we'll have to continue to do this the hard way. Major, send some of your men downstream to look for them, just in case, but Ronon thinks they went upstream."

Lorne nodded. 'Yes, ma'am. I'll take care of it." He turned back to the soldiers that had gathered at the edge of the creek. "Jamison, Lee, and Montero, you head downstream and see if you can track them that way. Everyone else, we go upstream; follow Specialist Dex's lead." Teyla smiled inwardly at the reference to Ronon's previous rank. Major Lorne was a good man, not so ambitious as to not appreciate true experience and seniority when he saw it. Sheppard had taught him well. Next Lorne got on the radio and let the jumpers know what they were doing.

oOo

John and Nick stumbled along in the dark, the forest floor almost completely dark since the canopy blocked out most of the moon light. They were both staggering now, hurting beyond their wildest beliefs, and barely on their feet. The temperature had dropped significantly since the sun had gone down and the wind had picked up about an hour ago. Neither man commented on the miserable conditions, opting for silence rather than vocalizing their misery. It might not have been so bad if they had at least had a shirt on, but without one they were shivering. They paused a moment beside a rock cliff, leaning against the hard, cold surface to steady themselves. John suddenly stepped sideways and leaned around Nick.

"Is that a cave?" He began walking on unsteady legs several feet over to the darkened area he thought might be a cave entrance. Nick followed him, stopping just before plowing into John's back.

"It is a cave. Maybe we can rest in here and warm up a while."

Nick nodded; he almost wanted to cry at the thought of being warm, even for a millisecond. He could feel his teeth beginning to chatter. "If we can just . . . g-g-get out of this wind, i-it would help."

John nodded in the darkness, too tired to turn around to his shivering friend.

They carefully entered the cave, taking a step at a time and then stopping to listen. They had no light, so they were hoping the cave wasn't already occupied. They had no idea how large it was and no way to tell. As soon as they were far enough in that the wind was no longer cutting them in half, they huddled against the wall and tried to stop the sickening shivering of their near-hypothermic bodies.

"Are we going to make it out of here?" asked Nick softly, almost a whimper.

"Yes," John replied firmly. "And don't you go doubting that. I hope it's tomorrow, but I can't promise you that." The wind outside howled loudly, as if to contradict his optimism. "I _can_ promise you that I will get you home." He grinned at Nick in the dark, but he was disappointed to realize that it was too dark to see. "I have to get you home or Carson and Kelly will hunt me down and kill me."

"What if you're . . . already dead?" Nick asked, his voice still quiet, his teeth still chattering audibly. John didn't need to see his face to know that Nick wasn't smiling.

"Hey Doc, don't you go giving up on me, ye'hear? We _ will_ get out of here alive and you have to believe it."

Nick sighed, trying to stop the tremors racking his body. "Part of me does, b-b-but part of me is so tired and hurts so b-b-badly that I just don't see how we're going to make it. The gate is t-too far away."

"One step a time Nick, one step at a time . . . " John cajoled him ever so gently.

They sat quietly for several minutes, arms clutched around their midsection tightly to hold in what meager warmth they had. At least they had stopped shivering.

"What's the best thing about going back?" asked John.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, when we go home, what is the one thing you can't wait to see . . . other than a soft, warm bed and some good pain meds?"

"Oh, that's easy. Kelly." Nick closed his eyes and brought her image forth in his mind. He thought of stroking her soft hair and touching her cheek and the feel of her lips against his. "Yeah, definitely Kelly." Nick thought he could almost hear the sound of John rolling his eyes.

"Oh, puh-leeeese, man, have you got it bad or what?" John sighed heavily. "But, that in mind, make it work in your favor. Would you give just about anything to see her again?"

"Yeah, sure . . . anything."

"Then _she's_ your focus. When you think about giving up or quitting, I want you to think about seeing Kelly again, about touching her and smelling her –"

"Hey, hey, hey! Let's not get carried away. That's_ my_ Kelly you're talking about."

John sighed. "Easy fellow, down boy. I'm talking about you, not me."

"Okay . . . I get it. I guess that could help. What about you, what do you focus on? Or maybe I should say who?"

"_That _Nick, is classified."

"John, that's not fair. You know who I like, so c'mon, 'fess up my friend."

John snorted. "Nick, _every_one knows who you like. You've done everything but had a skywriter post it."

"You think a jumper could do that?"

"NO!"

"Okay, okay, just a thought, but, seriously, who _do_ you dream about? Teyla? Elizabeth? That new hot girl, what's her name, Belinda?"

"I'm not . . . you think Belinda is hot?"

"Gosh yes. Belinda the nurse, not Belinda the marine."

"There's a Belinda the nurse? I had no idea. I thought you meant the marine and I was seriously thinking about having a talk with Carson when we got back to see about getting you some glasses."

"Oh, crap, John! That woman looks like a German gymnast from the seventies! . . . or maybe a Russian swimmer! Anyway, one of those places where they had their women athletes on steroids."

"She's a body builder, you know?"

Nick frowned to himself. "The nurse?"

"No, dufus, the marine. Stay with me here."

"I think I'm too tired, my brain can't keep up. Can we sleep a while?"

"Yeah, you sleep. I'll keep watch." John already had his eyes firmly trained on the mouth of the cave.

"When will _you_ sleep?"

John had just opened his mouth to answer, when they both heard a low growl from about twenty feet deeper inside the cave. It wasn't really all that loud, but the deep power in its rumble seemed to vibrate through the floor and walls of the cavern.

"Oh, c-r-a-p," whispered John.

"Pleeeeese don't tell me we're in the wrong place again?" asked Nick softly.

"Wrong time again too," replied John, his voice equally soft. "Try to get up… as quietly as you can."

Leaning against the wall, they slid their backs up against the side of the cave, gritting their teeth silently against the protests of their battered bodies. Once they were standing, the growl shuddered through the cave once again. Slowly, one step at a time, they started edging along the wall toward the mouth. They were almost out the opening when they heard the thunderous pounding of something large leaping toward them.

"_Run!" _yelled John, pushing Nick forward. And that was exactly what they did.

oOo

"One of them fell here," said Ronon, kneeling as he stared at the confused mess of dirt and leaves scattered across the rocky ground.

"How can you tell that?" asked Lorne, looking at the same spot Ronon was, but not really seeing anything that looked much different that the rest of the ground. Of course, he had no idea how Ronon had known where they left the stream since the ground was covered in rock on both banks and there were no footprints.

"I can tell." He stood and pointed through the trees. "They went this way. I think we're catching up."

Teyla fell in step behind Ronon wordlessly and Elizabeth looked over to Lorne. They shrugged their shoulders, neither understanding how he was tracking them but both placing their complete faith in the former runner. Elizabeth silently followed behind Teyla as they continued their search for the lost men.

oOo

John and Nick slowly staggered to a stop, breathing heavily as they fell to their knees.

"Is it . . . still back there?" wheezed Nick.

"No . . . don't think so," answered John. "Don't think . . . it came . . . out of cave."

Nick shook his head. "Don't tell me . . . that. . . ran all that way . . . for nothing."

"So'kay . . . better lead," panted John. They both finally crawled down to lay on the ground, waiting until they had their breathing under control and their own private living-hell had stopped screaming at them. It was several minutes later when John began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Nick failed to see much humor in anything that had happened that day, including lying out in the open, half naked and freezing to death.

John drunkenly wiped the tears from his face. "Sorry . . . I just had this mental image . . . " he snickered again. " . . . of us running for our lives . . . only to have a tiny kitten come out of the cave and meow." He dissolved into another chuckle.

"That's absurd, did you _feel_ the way the cave trembled from that thing's growl?" Nick lay there a second and then smiled. "Of course, maybe that could be some odd sound transfer thing about that one cave, so that things get amplified as they echo. Guess we could have just said, here kitty, kitty."

"Nice, Nick. Want to go back and try that?"

"Not on your life."

"Me either. Guess we'd better get going." John pushed up to his knees and felt a weird tingling in the back of his neck. "Nick, I . . . " Lightning bolts of pain shot up into his head and down his spine as he felt his body go rigid and then begin to shake. He was briefly aware of falling and then it was like his muscles took off and danced without him. There was a loud buzzing in his ear and bursts of light clouding his vision and then nothing.

oOo

Ronon had only set one foot in the cave when he gave the halt signal and silently began to back up. The others stopped talking and backed up as well, not wanting to tangle with anything that had Ronon concerned. Ronon put his finger to his lips and then quietly walked away from the cave. Everyone followed, giving each other confused looks but not questioning the Satedan. When they were quite a ways away, Ronon stopped.

"There was a creature in there, one that is very large."

Elizabeth swallowed hard. "John and Nick?"

"They went in, but they also came back out." He smiled at the people listening intently before him. "They came out in a bigger hurry than they went in."

Teyla and Elizabeth grinned at each other, thinking that was a good sign. "So, you think they made it out okay?" asked Elizabeth.

"The animal did not give chase. But they are moving quickly again. This way." Ronon began walking in the direction the two lost men had gone and the others followed.

oOo

John opened his eyes to see Nick sitting beside him, watching him carefully. He noticed for the first time in a while how pale Nick looked and that his features were drawn in pain. Looking down he saw Nick's left arm pressed close to his side.

"John, are you back with me buddy?"

Sheppard tried to lick his lips, but there was no moisture available. His mouth was dry as an old sock and didn't taste much better. "Yeah, think so," he rasped. His head felt like someone had kicked him pretty hard and little jolts of pain were still shooting down his neck and spine. "How about you? You look like crap."

The corners of Nick's mouth turned up ever so slightly. "You never stop, do you?"

John smiled back at him. "I try not to. Ribs hurting?"

Nick grimaced. "A little. My first encounter with cracked and/or broken ribs. I'm afraid I haven't mastered the Sheppard art of carrying on as though nothing has happened."

John just snorted and turned his head away. "I don't do that."

"Yes, John, you do," Nick said seriously. "And I have no idea how, because they really hurt." Nick sat watching him another few seconds. "You gave me one heck of a scare. What happened?"

John turned his head back to look at Nick and decided it might be best to be honest since Nick obviously was. "I think it's that neurowhatever thingy the Enforcer had. Pain in my neck, shooting up into my head and down my back. Then it was like everything just short-circuited."

Nick nodded gravely. "I was afraid of that. You looked like you were having seizure after seizure, except . . . it was different somehow than your typical seizure."

"We can worry about it when we get back to Atlantis." John hated the focus being on his injuries; he was trying hard to not think about what his body was yelling at him let alone trying to rationalize it with Nick. "Right now we have to get moving. How long was I out?"

"About a half an hour or so."

"Oh, crap. You should have gotten me up." John sat up and closed his eyes, waiting on the dizziness to pass.

"I don't think that was possible." Nick got up on his knees, and then grunted as he doubled over. The pain in his ribcage that had lulled as he sat with John was now fully awake and screaming at him to notice. The pain came in waves along with the vertigo, making it hard to breathe. He felt John's arm around him, steadying him so he didn't topple over. When it finally passed, he opened his eyes and looked at John.

"I'm okay now." He didn't want to be the reason John had to slow down. He began struggling to his feet and was joined by John, working to get to his own feet as he helped Nick. When they finally made it into a vertical position, they leaned against each other for support.

Nick chuckled a little. "I think is what they mean by the blind leading the blind."

"Speak for yourself. I'm not blind."

"You know what I mean." Nick felt the muscle tremors coursing through John's body, causing him to work to remain upright. Nick also found that the world kept spinning to the left and threatening to throw him to the ground. "Man, are we a pair. How are we going to make it to the gate?"

"It's called perseverance." John took a tentative step forward.

"I think Carson would have another word for it," muttered Nick.

John laughed and then groaned, putting his hand to his head. "Oh, don't make me laugh. Makes my head hurt worse."

Slowly, they began to take steps, getting a little more confident when they didn't land in a heap on the ground. They worked out a way of leaning on each other that utilized the strength of each person. They were shivering and exhausted and hurting, but they were moving again. That was enough at the moment to lift their spirits and give them hope, neither man wanting to admit defeat that, spoken out loud, would surely deflate his companion.

They felt the rain on their bare skin at about the same time they heard a clap of thunder. Stopping, they stared disbelievingly at the sky above as the clouds opened up and it began to pour, soaking them in a matter of minutes in spite of the canopy above.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," mumbled John.

Nick just looked at the water puddling around his feet for several seconds before lifting his head to look at John. "About going on missions through the gate with you guys . . . I may be having second thoughts."

"Ha!" was the reply. " . . . like you think this is negotiable?"

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Note:** Thanks for the continuing feedback – I think Nick has developed a following (I'm loving it). Thanks to Kerri (PyroDragon2006) for the loan of the leash comments.

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time – Chapter 6

"They are not far ahead of us now and they're slowing down. The rain is making it harder for them to keep their footing, especially since they're injured. We should catch them within the hour," Ronon reported to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and Teyla both looked relieved. Elizabeth rubbed the back of her neck and shook her head. "How are they still going? It'll be light soon. They've been on the run in the dark all night and . . . " She looked up at the sky, rain pelting her in the face. " . . . in the rain after two days of torture."

"It's Sheppard," said Ronon matter-of-factly.

"I agree," said Teyla, without hesitation.

Elizabeth smiled a little as she looked at the two warriors before her. "And why do you say that?"

Ronon shrugged his shoulders. "Sheppard will not stop until he makes it to the gate or gets captured or killed. He doesn't quit, especially if he's protecting someone."

Teyla nodded in agreement. "Ronon is right. Colonel Sheppard can be very . . . stubborn about some things. He takes his responsibility very seriously."

Elizabeth grinned and thought of all the times they had thought John dead, only to have him waltz through the gate or show up on the Daedalus. Sometimes she thought maybe he really was invincible. She rued the day when that thought was proven wrong, but she wasn't ready for today to be that day. She was bone tired, but there was no way they were giving up on him. "Let's go get them."

oOo

John stopped and motioned for Nick to stop. They stood in silence for several seconds, listening to the sound of the rain gently hitting the leaves of the canopy above their head. If they hadn't been on the run and miserable, it would have been a relaxing sound.

"I think I heard something," whispered John. They stood in the rain, shivering and leaning heavily against one another.

"It's rain," whispered Nick back to him.

John rolled his eyes. "Not the rain, I heard people, footsteps. They're gaining on us. We've got to take cover somewhere."

Nick looked around nervously. "John . . . I don't see anywhere to hide and . . . I can't run another step. I'm sorry, I don't think I can do this any more."

"Yes, you can," he said firmly, but quietly. "Just give me a minute." He looked around for a few seconds, his eyes searching and his mind racing. "Got it." He urged Nick forward to a rock outcropping about twenty feet away. The rock shelf was about eight feet off the ground and stuck out from the wall of stone another four feet. Scrubby bushes lined one side of the precipice.

"We climb up there and hide behind those bushes." John pointed up to the rocky outcropping. "If there's only one or two, I can jump on them and take them out. Maybe we can get their weapons or something useful. Heck, maybe we can take their shirts. If it's too many, we'll just lay low and hope they don't see us."

Nick looked up at the climb it would take to get them up to the rock shelf above. The rocks were slippery and steep, with something that looked like moss covering most of their surface. He figured they were a lot more likely to fall and break their neck than they were to actually make it all the way up. His whole body ached and shivered, but his ribs were hurting so bad he could barely breathe. He turned back to John, trying to steel his resolve and do this one last thing before he completely collapsed.

"I'll help you. If we both jump them, we'll have a better chance."

John looked uncertain. "This is more my area, Nick. Maybe you'd better let me handle it."

"Look, John, I know I'm not a soldier and I'm not trained to fight like you are, but let's get real here. You can barely stand. Unless our attacker is that baby kitten we were discussing earlier, you're going to need some help. Besides, I'd do just about anything for a shirt right now. I can't take a chance on you letting it get away. Heck, they might even have jackets."

John's eyebrows shot up. "Jackets? I didn't think of that. What are we waiting for? I'll give you a boost up. When we get in position, just be really still and quiet and wait on my signal. Then we'll jump on the guy and knock him out."

Nick grinned. "Hey, we have a plan."

John grinned back and patted Nick on the shoulder. "Yes, Nick, we have a plan."

oOo

Ronon had gotten ahead of the others, fueled by his desire to find Sheppard and Strauhan and more capable of moving quickly in the adverse conditions, thanks to his years as a runner. He knew they were close and he was trying to listen for them. He had just started to call out to them, when he caught movement in his peripheral vision. Before he could get his stunner drawn, he was slammed into the ground.

Elizabeth, Teyla, and Major Lorne had been hurrying to catch up to Ronon when they saw the two dark figures knock Ronon down. They ran to cover the distance between them and the Satedan as quickly as possible. The two figures came after Ronon sluggishly, giving him time to get to his feet. The three stood in a semi-circle, a sort of stand off, for several seconds as the others caught up and stopped behind Ronon.

"Ronon?" said one of the figures, the voice low and scratchy, yet somehow familiar.

Elizabeth squinted in the gray light that was just beginning to filter through the trees. Neither man wore a shirt. She was beginning to see that both of them were battered and dirty and shivering in the soft morning rain. "John?"

John shifted his gaze past the large man he now recognized as Ronon to the figures behind him. "Elizabeth?" He dropped his arms to his sides, the fight stance dissipating almost instantly. He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt some the tension leave his aching muscles. He turned to Nick, whose face wore an expression of reserved hope. "It's okay, Nick. I think our rescue team is here."

Nick's posture relaxed and he brought his arm up protectively over his ribs. "Thank God," he whispered. He looked up at Ronon apologetically. "Sorry about that Ronon. We . . . thought you were someone else."

Ronon just smiled and slapped Nick on the back, almost knocking him over. "No problem, doc. I'll forgive you this time. Just remember this the next time you have something sharp with my name on it."

Elizabeth rushed over to stand in front of John as Lorne could be heard contacting the jumper. "John, we came to get you, but you had already escaped."

John nodded. "Sorry we couldn't wait. They came for us and . . . I wasn't doing that again."

Elizabeth noticed the tremor in John's hand, more than she would have expected from the cold. "Did that Enforcer guy get you with that . . . "

"Neurodisrupter. Yes, more than once. That's why we had to get out of there. Well, that, and they were threatening to execute us. I decided we had worn out our welcome."

"I'm sorry it took us so long." She started to step forward a step, but Lorne came up beside them.

"The jumper has found a small clearing about half a mile away. It's just big enough to land in, so they're going to meet us there. Can you guys walk that far?"

Nick and John looked at one another and smiled, saying in unison, "Piece of cake."

Teyla and Elizabeth raised their eyebrows and smiled at the two. Lorne had a distinct smirk on his face as he passed on some more information. "Dr. Beckett said he would see you both when we got there."

John and Nick looked at each other uncertainly. Nick finally said, "I think there's still time to go back to the prison."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Oh, no you don't. Not after I walked around in the woods all night looking for you in the rain. Not on your life. You two are headed for a nice stay in the infirmary, so get used to it. Now get moving."

As they began walking, John leaned against Nick and whispered, "Atlantis's enforcer."

"I heard that!"

oOo

Beckett saw them coming even before they reached the edge of the clearing. He and Marcy each grabbed a blanket and hurried to meet them, knowing that Nick and John had been out all night in the rain and were probably cold. As they stepped out into the early morning sunlight, he was shocked at the appearance of the two.

John and Nick were still leaning heavily against one another, having stubbornly refused help in completing their trip. Still shirtless, their battered and bruised torsos stood in stark contrast to their actions. Once the tension of trying to escape more torture had dissolved away, they had given in to giddy happiness. They emerged from the forest weaving and singing "Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall" like a couple of drunks.

After a moment's hesitation, Carson and Marcy pushed forward and each threw a blanket around one of the shivering forms. The prodigals stopped singing to pull the warm cover closer around their shoulders, obviously relishing the feel of the soft fabric on their cold skin. They didn't pull away when Carson took hold of John's arm and Marcy took hold of Nick's. The two medical personnel exchanged a glance as they picked up on the shivering of their two new patients. The four walked quietly toward the jumper, Nick and John feeling what was left of their strength beginning to fade away. As they reached the open back hatch and looked in, John stopped and pulled away from Carson.

"Carson, I want you to note that I am walking and conscious going into the jumper. I know you said you wanted us walking through the gate, but I doubt I can hike that far, so this will have to do."

As John trudged up the ramp, Nick took a step to follow him. 'Yeah, me too, what he said." They made it to the seats along the sides of the cargo hold and eased themselves down.

Carson sighed and shook his head as he looked at Marcy. "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

John looked at Nick. "See, I told you we'd make it."

A shadow fell across them as Ronon stepped into the back of the jumper, followed by Teyla and Elizabeth. John looked up at the tracker. "Thanks, big guy. Thanks, all of you. Can we go home please? I'm tired of this planet."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled at Teyla before turning back to John. "I'll bet you are. Major Lorne, let's go home."

Lorne closed the ramp and motioned to the pilot, as he turned on his radio and instructed the other jumpers about picking up the remaining men on the surface.

John and Nick leaned their head back against the wall and closed their eyes, but their rest was short lived. As the jumper lifted off the ground, Carson and Marcy began tending to the wounded men.

Without opening his eyes, Nick gently nudged John in the arm. "You realize the hard part is just beginning, right?"

John grinned and pulled the blanket around his shoulders tighter. "Yeah, but if they'll give me a shirt or another blanket, I don't care."

oOo

When the back hatch opened in Atlantis, John immediately began trying to get up. Carson pushed him back down by the shoulders. "Now where do you think you're going? I have a gurney with your name on it."

John pulled away and stood up, swaying slightly as he stood there. "I can make it." He started down the ramp with Carson close behind. "Colonel, you are riding to the infirmary. You have . . . "

As John reached the bottom of the ramp, his body stiffened and he moaned as he drew in a sharp breath. Nick recognized the symptoms and jumped to his feet. "John . . . Carson, get him."

Beckett stepped forward quickly, catching John as his body began to shake and tremble and he crumpled toward the ground. Beckett and the nurse standing beside the waiting gurney lowered John to the ground, trying to control the jerking and twitching so that he didn't hurt himself any further. Nick was there beside them in an instant.

As John's body began to relax, Carson turned to Nick. "What the heck was that? What did they do to the two of you?"

Nick sighed. "They had this thing that they jabbed him with several times. They said it disrupted neural pathways. It causes muscle cramps and tremors and fires up pain receptors. Help me roll him over a minute."

Nick, Carson, and the nurse rolled John over on his side and Nick pointed to the places where the Enforcer had stuck John with the neurodisrupter. "He got him once in the lower back and again at the base of the neck. I'm afraid he set that stupid thing off more than once when he hit him in the neck and it's awfully close to the spinal cord." They let John roll over on his back, his body still shaking with tremors. "He had an episode like this on the planet. I don't know if he's supposed to be having these lingering effects or not, but my guess is not."

"Did they jab you with that thing?" asked Carson, trying to look Nick over.

"Just once, but I haven't had anything like this. I'm almost sure it's in response to where he hit him or how often or some combination of both."

Carson nodded. "Okay, let's get him on the stretcher and to the infirmary. I can't do anything for him here." Ronon stepped in to help Carson and one of the nurses lift John onto the gurney, purposely elbowing Nick out of the way as he did so. As they rolled it away, Carson turned toward Nick.

"Let's get you settled, because you're riding too and I want no arguments."

Nick just nodded as he stepped forward. He felt like crap and was pretty certain he couldn't walk across the room, much less all the way to the infirmary. Mostly he was just tired of playing like he was strong and brave. Coming along side the gurney, he suddenly dropped to his knees and doubled over, grunting in pain as he did so.

"Bloody heck, what now? Nick, talk to me." Carson kneeled down beside Nick and put his arm around his shoulder to steady him as Nick slid sideways against him, his body going limp. "Nick?"

As Carson shifted, Nick rolled over slightly where the CMO could see his face. He was unconscious and the doctor was a bit surprised at how pale he was, his skin cool and clammy. Carson quickly eased Nick the rest of the way to the floor and began checking his ribs and abdomen. Marcy called out his pulse and blood pressure as Carson worked.

"Let's get him on the gurney. Call ahead and tell them to prep an OR, he's bleeding internally. They'll need to start pulling blood and notify the surgical team to get scrubbed." Beckett continued to bark out orders as they hurriedly left the jumper bay.

Elizabeth watched as Rodney nearly collided with the gurney as he rushed into the jumper bay, losing one of his crutches in the encounter. Teyla walked over and picked up the errant walking aid, handing it to Rodney as he leaned against the wall, his eyes wide and his mouth open. "What was that? We should install traffic lights or speed limit signs in this place. Was that a gurney, who's hurt?" Rodney frowned. "Let me guess, Sheppard."

"No," said Elizabeth. "That was Nick."

"Oh," responded Rodney, looking and sounding surprised.

"John's stretcher is probably to the infirmary by now."

Rodney nodded his head and waved his hand. "There you go. What did they do to them this time?" He suddenly looked worried. "They are going to be okay, right?"

"I hope so, Rodney, but we need to get to the infirmary. I don't really know how serious their injuries are. They weren't very cooperative in the jumper, so Carson didn't get much outside their vital signs. They seemed to need to get back to Atlantis before they could let down."

"That is understandable," commented Ronon.

"Really?" asked Elizabeth, noting Teyla nodding in agreement. She didn't really understand, but since the other soldiers on John's team seemed to, she decided to let it pass.

"I ask you, how could anyone else but Sheppard turn a meet and greet into such a fiasco?" Rodney backed up a step when all of them glared at him. "What?" He brushed them off, ignoring the implication of their looks. "You know, Nick acts just like him. Elizabeth, you better not let the two of them out by themselves if you don't want a repeat of this little adventure. Personally, I think they should be kept on a leash."

Elizabeth frowned. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Oh, please, tell me that after we visit them in the infirmary. Speaking of which . . . " McKay turned and headed toward the infirmary with the others following behind him.

oOo

Kelly had been going off duty when the report came in that they had Nick and John and would be back to Atlantis shortly. She had heard enough reports to know that they were injured and would be brought to the infirmary, so she decided the best course of action was to wait there. She paced, alternately wringing her hands and beating her fist against her thigh until she heard Belinda talking to one of the nurses on the radio. She couldn't hear what the other end was saying, but she could see Belinda's face and it was making her nervous.

"What is it?" Kelly asked when she was sure Belinda was through receiving the information.

"I've gotta get the surgical team together, Kelly. Nick's bleeding internally and they are on their way." She gave Kelly's hand a squeeze and left to get the OR ready. Kelly just stood in the center of the infirmary, lost in her thoughts for a few moments.

John came in first and Kelly thought he looked pretty bad. Beaten, bloody, and bruised, his skin was pale and his body mottled with abrasions. The medical staff immediately began starting an IV and cleaning him up. She couldn't help but notice the way his body trembled and shook. Kelly felt a brief flash of anger at him for letting Nick get hurt so badly, but it passed almost instantly when he moaned in pain. She knew he would have done everything in his power to protect those around him, she'd seen it much too often.

They hadn't been working on him long when a second stretcher came in with Nick. He was so pale and still that she thought maybe he hadn't made it for a second. Clearing her head, she realized they wouldn't be frantically tending to him as they were if he were already dead.

She was almost in a daze as she watched them finish cutting his clothes off and start an IV. She had never really noticed how lean and muscular he was, reminding her of the way Colonel Sheppard was built. They had often commented on how similar to two were, with new people often mistaking them for brothers. She had seen Sheppard in all kinds of conditions as he racked up his frequent flyer miles in the infirmary, but it occurred to her that she'd never seen Nick under such conditions. She hoped he wasn't about to mimic the colonel in habits as well as looks.

She watched as they connected monitors, checked his injuries, and constantly evaluated his vitals. It seemed only a few minutes before they were whisking him off to surgery. Another team still worked on John, but it didn't seem nearly so frantic. For a brief second, she wished their places were reversed, and then the guilt of having such a thought almost knocked her down. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around her middle, glad that no one could read her thoughts. What was wrong with her?

"Kelly, why don't you come sit with us?"

She looked up to find Elizabeth Weir gripping her arm and gently leading her to the waiting area. This wasn't right. She was supposed to be on the job working on the wounded, not sitting in the waiting area longing to hear about one of them. This wasn't right at all.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Well, I'm starting to fall behind. Busy days are catching up with me. Thanks for the nice words in the reviews – I'm wearing a big, silly grin!

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time – Chapter 7

Hearing footsteps coming their way, Elizabeth rose to meet Dr. Biro, the others following her lead. The pathologist adjusted her glasses nervously as she stopped to talk to the waiting group of friends.

"Dr. Weir, I thought you might like an update."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled, trying to put the physician at ease, knowing that she still wasn't really comfortable working with patients. "Yes, we would appreciate that very much Dr. Biro."

The woman seemed to relax a little as she fell into "report mode". "As you know, Dr. Strauhan is in surgery. He had several broken ribs and that eventually resulted in some internal bleeding. I just checked with Dr. Beckett and he said the doctor is doing well under the circumstances." She turned toward Kelly, directing the next comment to her. "They should be finished soon and then he'll be out to fill you in. Dr. Strauhan's in good hands."

Kelly nodded, wiping the remnant tears from her face. "Thanks, I know he is."

Dr. Biro turned back to Elizabeth. "Colonel Sheppard has been in and out, but never really coherent. He seems restless, almost like he's in pain, and he's suffering from sporadic muscle tremors. He's dehydrated and has three cracked ribs and one broken rib. There's no indication of internal bleeding, but he does have a bruised kidney we're watching."

"So, he'll be okay, right?" asked Rodney, leaning on his crutches.

"I think so, yes. His injuries are painful, but not severe. The main concern right now is the lingering effects of the neurological device they used on him. The sporadic muscle contractions come and go, along with the firing of his pain receptors. They have changed from an occasional, intense burst of tremors to an almost constant, lighter array. The effects are not as intensely painful and debilitating, but it also means he gets almost no relief. I suspect that no drugs were involved, so if his blood work comes back clean, I'll be able to give him something stronger for the pain."

"How long do you thing it will last?" asked Elizabeth, verbalizing the question in everyone's mind.

Dr. Biro shook her head. "I have no idea. But until it dissipates on its own, there's not much we can do for him but try to keep him as comfortable as possible and wait it out."

"Drug him and wait for it to go away? That's it? That's not a plan." The pitch of Rodney's voice went steadily higher as it got louder. "This is why I say medicine is not a real science. Let's not fix him, just let him wait it out. It's Sheppard, he can handle it."

"Dr. McKay, they cannot help it that the Colonel was tortured with this device or that there is not more they can do to help him. You know they are doing all that they can." Teyla now rested her hand gently on Rodney's forearm, her eyes asking him to calm down. He knew the look, he'd seen it before. Teyla, the peacemaker, at work again.

"Fine, fine. I get it," he snapped. He wasn't really mad at Dr. Biro or any of the medical staff. He just wished there was something more they could do.

Dr. Biro had been around McKay long enough not to take offense. Ignoring his outburst, she looked back to Elizabeth. "From all indications, the electrical signals, or whatever is triggering these events, are slowly fading. We believe the introduction of several powerful bursts in close proximity to the spinal cord is the reason for the continuing effects, but as I said, they are fading and should eventually go away."

Elizabeth nodded. "Well, that's certainly good news. Can we see him?"

Dr. Biro hesitated, then nodded. "I guess you can sit with him if you'd like. It might not be a bad thing to have some friendly faces around when he finally wakes up enough to be lucid. I understand he and Dr. Strauhan have had a rough couple of days."

"You could say that," said Ronon.

They followed the doctor back to John's bed. They could hear and see him stirring restlessly in the bed as they approached, mumbling and moaning softly in his sleep. He was pale and dressed in scrubs, the sheet tangled around his legs as he seemed to fight some battle in his sleep. His body momentarily stiffened and then he rolled to his side, his body shaking with tremors. He opened his eyes for a few seconds, rolling them sightlessly before closing them again with a grunt.

"See what I mean?" asked Dr. Biro. "I'm hoping when his blood work clears and I can give him something stronger, that he'll be able to get some rest.

Elizabeth frowned. "Is he hurting?"

Biro shrugged her shoulders. "No real way to know, but I figure there must be discomfort on some level or he wouldn't be so restless. Like I said, you can stay here if you'd like until Dr. Beckett gets out of surgery, just be quiet and don't disturb the colonel. I've got some work to attend to." The doctor turned and walked across the infirmary.

"Don't disturb the colonel," McKay parroted. "Looks to me like he's already disturbed."

oOo

John snapped his eyes open in response to the burning pain making its way down his spine, automatically arching his back against it. As the pain eased and he relaxed against the pillows, he realized he was in the infirmary. He vaguely remembered what had happened, but it almost seemed like a dream. He let his eyes wander the space around him and he smiled. His team was here, along with Elizabeth and Kelly. Nick. He didn't see Nick. John sat almost straight up in bed, panic rising from his gut.

"Nick!"

He was instantly surrounded by people pushing him down, but he struggled to get back up, to look around them searching for Nick.

"John, it's okay. You need to lie back down."

He looked up into Kelly's face, standing next to the bed, her hand on his shoulder. "Is Nick okay? Where is he?"

"Well, he's not okay, he's in surgery. But he's alive." Kelly tried to put on a brave smile, but she wasn't sure if she succeeded or not.

John licked his lips and looked around at the worried faces. "Surgery for what?"

Kelly took a deep shuddering breath, and that's when he noticed she'd been crying. "He was bleeding internally. Dr. Beckett's with him."

John closed his eyes and tried to absorb the news. He'd let Nick get hurt, he hadn't protected him. They should have headed for the gate as soon as Mistdol had told them they couldn't talk to the Chancellor. He opened his eyes and looked up sadly at Kelly. "I'm sorry, Kelly. I should have protected him. I should have gotten us out of there sooner."

One side of Kelly's mouth turned up into a half smile. "I have a confession to make. My first thought was anger with you for just that, for not keeping him from getting hurt. But then rational thought took over and I remembered how hard you fight to protect your people. I know you had to have done everything possible. I'm sure it's not your fault."

Elizabeth stepped up behind Kelly. "John, you don't need to be stressing yourself out over this right now. Just take it easy and relax." She smiled impishly. "If we get you all upset, Dr. Biro will kick us all out."

John just looked away, still convinced he should have done more. He grabbed his right arm and pressed it to his chest as a muscle tremor began making it shake. One of the nurses came up beside the bed and smiled.

"Good news, colonel. You're blood work is clean, so I have a little something to take the edge off the pain."

He watched her empty a syringe into his IV before patting his shoulder. "You should feel better in a minute."

Almost as soon as the nurse walked away, there was a flurry of activity as Beckett came across the room and the waiting crowd surged forward to meet him. John struggled to sit up and lean forward, hoping to hear the news. "Guys?"

They turned at his plea, Beckett heading over to the bed as soon as he saw his patient holding himself up by hanging doggedly onto the bedrails.

"Colonel, what are you doing? Lay back down before I have you sedated. I'm betting you have broken ribs as well and you're going to hurt yourself."

John let himself back down on his back when he saw the group heading back his way. "Sorry, Doc, I just wanted to hear how Nick was. Please tell me he's okay."

Beckett stopped at John's bedside, checking his IV before turning to face the worried group before him. He decided he'd better hurry before they attacked him. He reached out and took Kelly's hands and smiled. "Nick's doing very well. He's in recovery and then we'll move him out here in a bit. I'm sorry it took so long, love, but he had a stubborn bleeder that we had a wee bit of trouble finding. We've had to give him a few units of blood, but he's holding up well and I expect a full recovery."

Kelly sighed audibly and swayed a little, her knees suddenly feeling weak. Beckett guided her to a chair and pushed her into it. "Just take it easy a minute, lass."

The rest of the group exchanged smiles and taps on the shoulder or arm at the good news. Elizabeth reached out and held John's hand, squeezing it as he smiled and nodded at her. His hand suddenly tightened and his arm jerked spasmodically, but she held on tight as she watched him wince and bite his lower lip. She knew he was fighting not to make a sound.

"How long do you think he'll be in the infirmary?" asked Kelly.

Beckett sighed. "Well, I expect it will be a while. He was dehydrated, so that's not helping him any. Whenever you have to recover from major surgery like this, you aren't going to just jump up and go about your business. He has a host of more minor injuries, but the surgery and broken ribs will take the longest to get over. He's in for a rough few days ahead, but it'll get progressively better."

Beckett's voice suddenly got sterner as he turned to face Sheppard. "And I need to have a little talk with the two of you about . . . " He stopped when he saw John's eyes were closed and his face had relaxed. He still had a twitch at the side of his right eye and the hand Elizabeth held still trembled, but he had settled down from the restless tossing of earlier.

"I don't think he can hear you," said Elizabeth as she watched him sleep. "I guess you'll have to scold him later."

Beckett smiled and nodded. "Aye. Well, I suppose the lad deserves the rest. I know he needs it. All right, out with all of you and let the man sleep. Kelly, I'll come get you when we move Nick." And with that, he ran them all back out to the waiting area.

oOo

His first awareness was the pain in his stomach and he knew it was not his ribs that were hurting. As his thoughts cleared and he grit his teeth against the fire in his belly, he knew what it was. The pain of an incision, which meant he'd been to surgery. The doctor in him figured pretty quickly that he must have been bleeding internally. He attempted to shift and release some of the tension in his stiff muscles, only to awaken all the other aches across his battered body. He groaned slightly as the assault on his already overburdened nervous system.

"Nick? Nick, can you hear me, hon?"

He smiled even before he opened his eyes, recognizing the voice he had longed to hear for several days.

He wanted to reply, but when he cleared his throat, he stirred up the nausea that had been hovering on the edge of his awareness and began gagging. He felt Kelly help him roll to the side and he wanted to scream when the heaving began. Every contraction seemed to stab him in the ribs and straight through the surgical incision. Tears were streaming down his face by the time he stopped and he saw spots, even behind his closed lids. He was fuzzy enough not to realize when they rolled him back over and wiped his face.

"Nick, come on babe, I need you to open your eyes and look at me." Her voice was back and he knew he must have passed out. He wanted to open his eyes and look at her, but his body wasn't really under full control yet. After several minutes of prodding and pleading, he finally managed to crack his lids to slits and was rewarded with one of the most beautiful smiles he ever remembered seeing.

"Much better. Marcy brought some ice chips for you." She slipped one in his mouth and thought she heard him moan in pleasure. "You should be okay now. That was just a reaction to the anesthesia."

Nick grunted. "Doctor . . . 'member?"

Kelly grinned sheepishly. "Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm so used to explaining the nausea after surgery to patients that I forgot who I was talking to."

"So'kay. How's John?" He glanced around the infirmary, noting the dimmed lights. It must be late for it to be this quiet and dark.

Kelly sat down beside Nick and carefully took his hand in hers. "He's okay. Roughed up, like you, but no internal bleeding. He's having a little trouble with effects from that thing they poked him with, but Dr. Biro and Dr. Beckett say it's getting better."

Nick closed his eyes and grimaced, pushing his head back into the pillow. He decided he would have a new outlook on patient pain after surgery. Nothing like identifying with your patients to increase the sympathy factor.

"Nick, you want me to get Dr. Beckett? You look like you're really hurting."

"Who's hurting?" asked Beckett softly, walking up beside the bed. "Nick, are you in pain?"

"I'm 'kay . . . think. Don't have . . . lot of experience with this kind o' thing."

Beckett frowned a little. "It's almost time for your next dose anyway. I was just coming to see if you needed it and it looks like you do." Beckett lifted the syringe he'd brought with him and emptied it into Nick's IV. "Okay, that should give you some relief." Beckett checked Nick's IV and vital signs, before patting Nick gently on the arm. "Everything looks good, just hang in there."

"Mmmm . . . hanging." The pain was beginning to fade from the sharp, stabbing kind to the milder, achy kind. Nick felt his eyelids beginning to drift closed and he didn't have any desire to stop them.

"Sleep, Nick. I'll be right here beside you." Kelly smiled up at Beckett, who nodded at her as he turned to leave. She turned back to Nick, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest and taking comfort in the soft sound of his breathing. "I'm going to have a hard time letting you out of my sight after this."

oOo

The guards shackled John's hands above his head again. He was so tired and so sore, he could barely keep his feet under him. The Enforcer came at him, waving the neurodisrupter in front of his face and laughing. He turned and walked away from John, still laughing, as two guards entered the room dragging Nick between them. He was bloody and pale, his eyes barely open as they dumped him on the floor in front of John.

"What did you do to him? Let him go. It was my fault, not his." John pleaded with the Enforcer as the man continued to laugh at him.

"No, we aren't done with him yet. You will answer my questions or he dies."

"But I've already answered your questions. Please, just let him go."

The expression on his torturer's face went from entertained to angry in a heartbeat. He walked over to stand beside John, his face inches from the pilot's. "Tell me now, or he dies."

John almost screamed in frustration. "Tell you what? I've told you everything; I don't know what you want me to say."

The Enforcer looked at him sadly for a few seconds before smiling. "Very well, say goodbye to your friend. And be sure to tell your friends back in Atlantis that you killed him." He jabbed the neurodisrupter into Nick's back and activated it again and again and again, until Nick's body stopped convulsing and lay still. John screamed and yanked at the shackles the whole time, falling silent only when he realized Nick was dead.

John hung limply from the shackles, feeling a part of him had died with Nick. He felt sick and heavy and useless, not seeing the guards when they released him, allowing his limp form to drop to the floor. Crawling over to Nick, he checked for a pulse, just in case he was wrong. There was none. One of the guards hauled him to his feet and he launched into a kicking, screaming fit, determined that he would kill them or be killed himself. They pushed him to the ground and held him down. He was suddenly hot, so hot it took his breath away and he felt like he was suffocating.

oOo

"Kelly." The voice was so soft, she almost missed it. Kelly lifted her head from the edge of Nick's bed, where she had leaned over and drifted off sometime during the night. A blanket thrown over her shoulders told her that Dr. Beckett had been through at some point. Yawning, she looked over to see Nick looking at her. The gray light of dawn was beginning to filter in the infirmary.

"Hey, how are you feeling this morning?" She sat up and straightened her back, stretching.

"Check . . . John."

Kelly frowned, confused by what he meant. "John?"

Nick's face was drawn in either worry or pain or both. "Heard . . . something."

Kelly fine tuned her listening as she turned around in her seat. Realizing there was a privacy curtain between the beds, she stood and headed for the edge of the barrier. As she rounded the corner, she heard what sounded like wheezing and moaning at about the same time she caught sight of John. He was twisting and wrestling with his covers, moaning and mumbling in his sleep. Kelly thought she heard Nick's name and the word 'no' several times.

Moving quickly to his bedside, she firmly took Sheppard by the shoulders, intending to slow his movements before he ripped out his IV. "Colonel Sheppard, can you wake up for me?" She immediately felt the heat radiating from his body. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Marcy across the infirmary. "Marcy, get Dr. Beckett." She hated to raise her voice this early in the morning, but she was afraid to leave Sheppard and she needed help.

John opened his eyes briefly and seemed to be trying to focus on her. His breathing was labored and noisy. "I'm sorry, Kelly. I'm sorry. They wouldn't . . . I'm so sorry."

Kelly was getting more worried by the minute. "Colonel, there's nothing to be sorry for. Everything's okay. I need you to settle down for me, okay." She helped him sit up a few seconds later when he started coughing and couldn't seem to catch his breath. Suddenly there was another pair of hand across the bed, helping her lower the colonel back to the bed.

"What happened?" asked Beckett, coming up behind her.

"I'm not sure. Nick woke up and told me to check on him. When I came over here he was really restless and burning up."

Beckett put his hand across Sheppard's forehead for a second. "Oh, lad, what's going on with you now? Marcy, get a temperature." Beckett grabbed his stethoscope and listened to the colonel's breathing for several seconds. Placing the instrument back around his neck as he straightened up, he turned to Marcy.

"One hundred three," she reported.

"Looks like he's picked up some kind of infection, either from his wounds or something on that planet. Draw some blood and get it to the lab. Let's go ahead and start him on some antibiotics and put him on nasal cannuli."

"Nick?" John opened his eyes and lifted his head a couple of inches off the pillow. His eyes looked glassy and unfocused.

Beckett put his hand on John's chest, making sure he stayed put. "Nick's okay, Colonel, he's just over in the next bed."

"No, they killed him . . . "

"No, they didn't. It was a dream, it wasn't real. Nick is very much alive and worried about you."

John frowned and then his expression relaxed. "I remember . . . you came for us."

Beckett smiled. "That's right. Ronon tracked you and we brought you back to Atlantis. You and Nick are in the infirmary."

John smiled a little. "Yeah, I remember. Ronon's a good tracker. He found us. We're home."

"Yes, Colonel. Now, you've come down with a bit of something, but we're going to get you fixed up in just a few minutes, okay?"

"Why is it so hot?" John began trying to kick the covers off again.

"You have a fever, lad. We're going to give you something to help bring it down. Just relax and lay still so we can get you settled. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, I can do that. I don't feel so good." John rolled over on his side and curled up, but he stopped struggling with the sheets.

Beckett turned to Kelly, still standing beside him. "Why don't you go back to Nick and make sure he's okay. Once we get the colonel settled, I'll be over to check on Nick. And thanks for the head's up. This must have hit him pretty quickly."

Kelly nodded. "Nick's the one that caught it. He just can't stop being a doctor, even when he's a patient."

Beckett nodded. "I know, lass. And that's why he's one of the best doctors in two galaxies. Now, you'd better go fill him in or he'll be over here trying to help me treat the colonel in a minute."

Kelly grinned. "Yeah, you're probably right. Sometimes he can be very stubborn." Making her way around the curtain and back to Nick's bed, she found him watching her.

"Tell me . . . and I'm not stubborn."

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Note:** Thanks again for all the reviews. For those of you I told I'd never get this chapter together tonight, what can I say? Hubby gave me a couple of breaks during the day and I used them to type like a mad woman. So, here we are.

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time – Chapter 8

"How is he?"

Beckett grinned as he glanced down at Nick. "Well, give me a chance to get over here before you start asking questions. We've already started him on antibiotics and fever reducers. He's got some congestion, so I've got him elevated a bit and on oxygen. I won't know anything more until I get the report on his blood work, but I suspect he's picked up some kind of bug."

Nick nodded just a bit. "Resistance is probably down."

Kelly looked up at Beckett suddenly. "What about Nick? He's been through the same things as Colonel Sheppard."

"Yes, but we started him on antibiotics yesterday because of the surgery. I'm hoping that will knock anything out before it starts. The last thing Nick needs is to be sick right now."

Kelly sighed and shook her head. "I knew that. My brain isn't even pretending to function right now."

Beckett laughed and patted her on the shoulder. "Well, lass, I suspect you've had a few other things on your mind lately, so we'll overlook it." The doctor then turned to Nick. "Now that I've got the colonel settled, it's time to check up on you. How's the pain this morning?"

"It's manageable," Nick said quietly.

"Hmm, well, let me have a look at you and we'll see. I'll just get Marcy."

"I can help," offered Kelly.

Beckett paused to consider it a moment, and then nodded. "I guess that will work. Is your brain working yet?"

Kelly blushed. "Uh, yes, sir, maybe."

Carson laughed again. "It's okay, lass, it isn't brain surgery. I just need to check his vitals and his sutures. Why don't you get his temperature while I get his blood pressure? I'm going to want to keep a closer eye on his temperature in case it starts going up."

A few minutes later, Beckett was recording their readings on Nick's chart. He was aware that Nick was becoming increasingly uncomfortable the longer he was awake. The lines creasing his forehead had deepened and a slight sheen of sweat had popped out.

Beckett put a gentle hand on Nick's arm. "Almost done lad, and then I'll give you your next dose of pain meds."

"Okay," Nick breathed out softly.

Beckett pulled on a pair of latex gloves as Kelly pulled the sheet down to Nick's hips and his gown up to his chest. A large bandage covered most of his abdomen. The skin around was still tinted a little yellow from the iodine they had swabbed him with. Beckett gently tugged on the edge of the tape until he got it started and then pulled the pad back away from the incision.

Kelly saw Nick clutch the sheet in his fist and she put her hand reassuringly over his. "Just a few more minutes, hon." Nick closed his eyes and nodded.

Beckett carefully examined the stitches and checked the surrounding area for any signs of infection. Satisfied, he went about replacing the dressing with Kelly helping him. Both noticed how Nick's grip on the sheet clenched tighter and tighter. By the time they finished, he was panting and trembling, his eyes tightly shut.

"Be right back," said Becket quietly to Kelly as he carried the tray of discarded bandages with him.

Kelly gently brushed Nick's damp hair from his forehead. "It's okay, hon, we're done. Dr. Beckett's gone to get you something for the pain. You did good." She smiled down at him, noticing how his face had drained of color.

Nick slowly began to relax, eventually opening his eyes. "I'm good," he said quietly as Beckett returned with a syringe and emptied it into the IV port.

"You know, you're beginning to sound like the colonel," Beckett observed. "Two peas in a pod."

Nick blinked a few times at Beckett's remark. "So which pea in which pod am I, because I'm getting confused." He grimaced as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position. _Movement bad,_ he thought to himself.

Kelly and Beckett exchanged a confused look and shrugged their shoulders. "I think the pain meds are kicking in already," said Kelly.

Nick frowned at them a few seconds until he realized they didn't know what he was talking about. "No, no. John told me that Carson and I were two peas in a pod. I can't be one with him and with you, so which is it?"

Kelly laughed and took his hand. "You know, I never really thought about it, but you're kind of like both of them. You and Dr. Beckett are both very skilled doctors that really care about your patients and try to watch over them. But I've noticed lately that you have an adventurous side like Colonel Sheppard. When you're with him, you two are like a couple of ten year old boys that can't sit still and can't stay out of trouble. I'm thinking about getting a leash. And all three of you are extremely protective about those around you that you feel responsible for."

Nick's eyes were beginning to drift closed and his expression looking more relaxed. He smiled and his vision slowly tracked up to find Beckett. "We could be . . . three musk . . . muskets . . . musking . . . "

"Musketeers," filled in Kelly, grinning down at her pleasantly drugged boyfriend.

"Yeah . . . that," he slurred.

Beckett snorted loudly. "Not bloody likely. I'll leave the adventures to you two. Someone's got to be here to pick up the pieces and try to put them back together."

oOo

Elizabeth looked into Beckett's office to find him hunched over, working on a report. "Carson, can we check on the boys?"

Beckett looked up, his eyebrows raised in surprise. Glancing at his watch, he gasped. "How did it get so late? I meant to call you by now. Colonel Sheppard has had a bit of setback."

Elizabeth frowned. "What kind of a setback?"

"Elizabeth," came an annoyed voice from behind her. "Man on crutches here, remember. Could we actually move into Carson's office for this conversation, because I'd like to sit down. I _do_ have a broken leg, in case you've forgotten."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and moved into the office as Beckett tried to hide a smile. They both took seats.

"All right, Carson, now, what kind of setback?"

"He's picked up a bit of a bug – "

"A bug! Another one?" exclaimed Rodney.

"No Rodney, not an actual bug. I mean he's sick. He began running a fever early this morning and he's got some congestion in his lungs. It's a bit like bacterial pneumonia. We've started him on some antibiotics and we're managing his fever. As long as we keep his fever in check, he should be okay. So far he's responding well to the fever reducers, so I'm not anticipating any problems. His recovery may just be a little more uncomfortable."

Elizabeth nodded, relief evident on her face. "What about Nick? Is he okay?"

"Nick's doing well. I'm keeping him pretty heavily medicated at the moment, so he's sleeping a lot. We started him on antibiotics when we did his surgery, so I'm hoping he'll be able to fight this thing off without getting ill."

"What about the rest of us?" asked Rodney. "Can we get it?"

"I doubt it. Of course we can't be certain yet, but I think you'd need pretty close contact to catch it and even then, there's a good chance you wouldn't get sick. I think this may be one of those things that the average person's immune system dispenses with rather quickly. The colonel's resistance was compromised because of the torture, lack of food and water, exhaustion, and their little all night stroll through the cold rain."

"Can we see them?" asked Elizabeth.

"Aye, for a few minutes. Don't get too close to the colonel, just in case." Beckett stood up and headed for the door.

"Carson, when's the last time you slept?" asked Elizabeth, noting his tired step and drooping eyelids.

"Oh, I've gotten a few hours here and there on the cot in the back. I think we'll have the _children_ sorted enough by tonight I can get some real sleep."

"Children is right," said Rodney. "Leash, Elizabeth, I'm telling you."

Beckett snorted. "That's what Kelly said this morning."

"See, I told you."

"Rodney," said Elizabeth, the warning in her voice evident.

"Hey, I'm just saying . . . "

They approached the foot of Nick's bed to find him sleeping peacefully. Elizabeth looked around the small cubicle surrounding the bed. "Where's Kelly? I thought she'd be staked out here," she asked softly.

"She was," replied Beckett, equally quiet. "I told her if she didn't go get something to eat and some sleep, I was going to have her banned from the infirmary. Since Nick was freshly drugged and asleep, she allowed me to push her out the door. Marcy got off about that time, so she went with her to make sure she complied with my orders."

Elizabeth nodded, smiling at her CMO's habit of keeping watch over everyone, even if they weren't patients at the time. "He looks like he's resting well."

"Oh, he is. I gave him the good stuff, as Colonel Sheppard calls it."

As quietly as possible, they moved around the privacy curtain to the bed next door. John was shifting around in the bed, pulling away from the nurse trying to take his temperature.

"Colonel Sheppard, you have to be still for me to do this."

"Then quit jabbing me," he snapped.

Beckett sighed. "Colonel, could you let my nurse get your temperature?"

"Fine, just tell her to quit jabbing me in the ear." He scowled as the nurse took his temperature. The minute she was finished, he pulled away and squirmed around in the bed, trying in vain to get comfortable.

"One hundred point eight," she reported. "Do you need anything else, Doctor?"

"No, Amy, you can go."

Amy nodded and turned back to Sheppard. "I'm sorry if I poked you in the ear," she apologized. "But if you'd be still, I probably wouldn't be so likely to jab you," she whispered as she leaned in close to his ear.

John let his head fall back against the pillow and closed his eyes. "I know, I'm sorry. I just feel like crap and can't seem to get settled."

"Hang in there, sir. It's bound to get better." She patted him on the shoulder and winked at Dr. Beckett as she left.

"Well," said Elizabeth. "I guess there's no need to ask you how you feel."

John opened his eyes and stared blankly at her, his misery obvious to everyone. He took a couple of deep breaths to regain his composure, which only succeeded in sending him into a coughing fit that made his eyes water.

Amy had returned rather quickly to help Dr. Beckett sit Sheppard up until he could breathe again. "You know if you wanted me to come back, all you had to do was ask," she teased.

John tried to smile. "I'll remember that next time," he responded, still a little breathless.

Beckett brought out his stethoscope and spent the next couple of minutes listening to John's breathing. "Well, I'm glad your temperature is staying down, but the congestion isn't much better. Just try to stay still and not exert yourself."

John snorted as he pulled his legs up and then pushed them back down, grimacing. "I might be able to do that if these stupid muscle cramps and the twitching would stop. It's driving me crazy." He squirmed around some more until he was almost panting.

Beckett stood watching the colonel for a few seconds. "When was the last time you had anything for pain?"

"I don't know, a few hours ago, I guess."

"Let me go check your chart. I'm betting you're overdue if you're hurting this badly. Elizabeth and Rodney can keep you company." Beckett turned and hurried across the infirmary.

Elizabeth stepped up to stand beside John, but Rodney stayed back several feet, pulling a chair over to sit in. "Well, I'm sorry you're not feeling too well right now," sympathized Elizabeth. "When you feel better, I need to know more about what happened down there."

John moved his legs back and forth. "I can tell you now. Maybe it'll distract me. You know everything up until we sent Teyla and Ronon back. After they left, the Chancellor died and the people held us responsible. They attacked us as we tried to leave and knocked us out in the fight. We woke up in their prison. For the next . . . well, I don't actually know how long we were there. There were no windows and they kept dragging us back and forth between the cell and the torture room."

Elizabeth frowned. "I had a look at the torture room." She shivered, remembering the blood on the shackles that hung from the ceiling. She looked down to see the reddened abrasions on John's wrists, one of them bad enough to be bandaged. He seemed to notice her looking at him and slid his arm under the sheet.

"Here we go, Colonel, see if this helps." Beckett was back with pain medication, which he immediately added to the IV.

John nodded. "Thanks, Doc." He looked back at Elizabeth. "However long we were there, the Enforcer kept asking us why we killed the Chancellor and we kept explaining to him that we didn't. He started out working us over with his hands, him a couple of his goons. When that didn't work, he brought out the brass knuckles."

"Brass knuckles? Are you serious?" Rodney's eyes were wide and his tone echoed his disbelief.

"Well, they weren't exactly brass knuckles, but they reminded me of them and served the same purpose. When that didn't get a response he liked, he brought out the neurodisrupter." John shivered suddenly and pulled the blanket up to his neck, even though the cold he felt had nothing to do with the temperature. "Man, that thing was awful. He stuck me in the stomach with it the first time. After I had a chance to get over it, they took us back down there and he stuck me with it in the back. Nick said he did it again, but I was too far gone to realize. When I woke up in the cell, I found out they had stuck Nick with that thing too. Nick said they planned on executing us and that's when I decided it was time to get the hell out of Dodge. The next time they came for us, we jumped them and ran."

Elizabeth raised one eyebrow and smiled. "I understand you had a parting gift for the Enforcer."

John smiled and sighed. "Yeah, I just couldn't resist. I thought he needed a taste of his own neurodisrupter."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that he was still twitching and unable to speak when we got there."

"Good. I just wish he could . . . " John stopped talking and brought his legs up to his chest, pulling them in for a minute, only to extend them straight out as if he were stretching. "I hate this," he hissed.

Beckett frowned. "Are you still having the shooting pains in your legs?"

"Yeah . . . but it's better now." He finally relaxed back against the bed again. "It comes and goes." He pulled his legs up and used them to push the covers down to his ankles. "Hot again."

"I know, lad, it's the fever."

John looked sadly at the three people facing him. "I just keep thinking of all the things I should have done differently. I should have left the planet at the first sign of trouble instead of pressuring Nick to treat that Chancellor guy. I could have gotten us out of that cell earlier. I kept trying to get them to let Nick go, but they wouldn't listen. I should have – "

"John. Don't do this. It's not your fault and you did everything you could at the time. None of us have a crystal ball to see how a decision will turn out before we make it. All of the decisions you made were sound under the circumstances. You have to quit beating yourself up over this." Elizabeth smiled down at him. "That's an order."

Beckett noticed Sheppard's eyelids beginning to droop and his struggles beginning to slow. "I think maybe the colonel's medication is beginning to kick in. Let's let him get some rest and you can talk later."

Elizabeth laid her hand on John's arm. "You get some rest, John. I'll stop in later to see how you're feeling. Take care and do what Carson says."

"Thanks. I will," he said, his lids drifting down even further as his movements almost stopped.

Elizabeth and Rodney followed Beckett back to his office. They all stood quietly for a few seconds. "I should have gotten the rescue team together sooner and gotten them out. I just kept trying to reason with those people, long after I should have just taken them by force." Elizabeth rubbed the side of her head, anger making her breaths come quickly.

"Now, lass, you couldn't have known what they were doing to them," said Beckett, patting Elizabeth on the shoulder. "I'd suggest you follow the advice you just gave the colonel. The people who are at fault here are those nuts on the planet."

"Carson's right, Elizabeth. You did everything you could and when the time came, you got them out and back to Atlantis in one piece. Granted, they're a little worn around the edges, but they're going to be okay."

Elizabeth sighed. "I guess you're both right. We just need to remember that they're back and they're going to be okay. And we'll be here to help them when they need us."

Rodney nodded. "Yes, we will. But I still think we need that leash."

TBC

I'm thinking one more chapter to tie up some loose ends and get the boys out of the infirmary.


	9. Chapter 9

**Note:** Last chapter. Thanks for sticking with me and thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoyed it!

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time – Chapter 9

At the sound of movement, Nick opened his eyes to see Kelly sitting down beside his bed. It had been a few days since they had returned to Atlantis and his pain meds had been reduced to the point he could stay awake more than five minutes at a time.

"Hey, you working tonight?" asked Nick, noticing her scrubs.

"Yeah, I thought I'd better get back to it. You're doing much better and don't really need me to sit by you every minute. Plus, this way I can still keep a close eye on you. I've got a few minutes before my shift starts, though, and I wanted to talk to you about something."

Nick frowned at her serious expression and the way she seemed to be avoiding eye contact. "What's up?"

Kelly hesitated a few seconds, staring at her twisting hands. She finally looked up at him and took a deep breath. "You really scared me," she said quietly.

"That's okay, I was pretty scared myself," he responded.

She looked at him, taking in the hospital gown and IV and the way his face was still a bit drawn in pain. "I . . . I don't want you to go back through the gate." There. She'd said it. She had rehearsed it off and on in her head almost all day and now it was out. She only hoped he didn't hate her for it.

Nick lay quietly looking at her pained expression, conflicting emotions battling inside him. He didn't know what to say because he'd been fighting his own battle with the question of going through the gate again. She finally rolled her eyes, almost making him laugh.

"Well, say something already. If you're going to dump me, just do it now."

And then he did laugh, but it quickly turned into a grimace and a groan at the pull on the stitches in his stomach. "Oh-h-h, no fair," he moaned.

Kelly looked at him quizzically. "Are you laughing at me?"

"No . . . not laughing at you . . . just . . . just amused that you thought I'd actually dump you over something like that." He stopped laughing and looked at her for a few seconds, a smile creeping back across his face. "I love you. We can work out whatever we need to, but I'm not losing you."

Kelly sighed and grinned, breathing out a deep puff of air. "I love you too. I'm sorry I'm such a wimp."

"That doesn't make you a wimp. Truth be told, I've been trying to figure out how I felt about going back through the gate again. At first, I thought I never, ever wanted to again. But the last day or two . . . I don't know. Now that I'm settling down, I'm not so sure any more. I think . . . I think part of me still wants to. I just need a chance to put this behind me."

"But you were hurt off world before, when the Wraith attacked, and that didn't bother you. Why does this?"

Nick shook his head. "This was different. It was scary when the Wraith attacked, but I understood the battle lines. It was Wraith against human and I was human. It wasn't personal. Plus, I had a gun and an opportunity to defend myself. This was a whole different kind of fear. It was a personal attack against me and John and we had no way to protect ourselves. We were chained up and unable to get away from the attacks. And at some point I realized that no matter what we did or said, that guy was just going to keep on hurting us until we were dead."

Kelly had moved in closer and was now holding Nick's hand, her eyes watering in spite of her willing them not to. "Nick . . . maybe you should talk to Dr. Heightmeyer."

He brought his free hand up and rubbed his face. "I don't know . . . maybe. How does he do this over and over?"

"Who?"

"John. I know he's been captured and tortured before. He was so calm. He said he was afraid, but he didn't act like it. He kept taunting the Enforcer, making him madder and madder, almost goading him to hurt him. I know what part of it was. He was trying to draw the man's attention away from me so he could take the brunt of the hits, and in some ways he did. He just . . . scares me. Not for me, but for him."

"Sounds like you better save him a spot on Dr. Heightmeyer's couch." She paused a second before adding, "You don't think he was _trying_ to get that guy to hurt him, do you?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that. I think he just . . . I have no idea. It's like he just can't leave it alone and not say anything. He told the guy to, and I quote, 'Go to hell. Go directly to hell. Do not pass go and do not collect $200'. Who says that to someone who is torturing them? I mean I know the guy didn't understand the reference, but he knew the implication."

Kelly shook her head in disbelief. "Maybe you should tell someone . . . Dr. Beckett or Dr. Weir or something."

"No, I'm sure his team is well aware of him doing this kind of thing. I suspect this is what Dr. McKay is always talking about when he's calling him a self sacrificing idiot. Let me talk to him and at least try to figure out what's going on in his head."

Kelly nodded. "I've got to go check in. Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good." He smiled at her smirk. "Really, I don't need anything. Can we talk more about this later?"

"Yeah, I guess we'll have to. I'm going. I should probably warn you, we're getting you out of bed in the morning and up on your feet."

Nick groaned. "I knew it was coming. Maybe you could slip me some extra drugs in the morning."

Kelly grinned. "I don't think so. I don't want to create a druggy boyfriend. You'll just have to get tough."

Nick sighed and frowned. "Now I'm _really_ afraid."

oOo

John blinked and rubbed his eyes, bringing the infirmary into focus. He was lying on his side, facing Nick's bed and he realized the privacy curtains were gone. He could see Nick sitting on the side of the bed with a nurse standing on each side and Beckett standing in front of him. When the nurses took hold of his arms and pulled him to his feet, he noticed it was Marcy and Kelly helping Nick stand up. He watched as Nick swayed, his knees threatening to buckle. He well remembered that feeling of getting out of bed the first time after surgery. Not a pleasant experience and he found himself feeling sorry for Nick.

"Penny for your thoughts," said Amy, suddenly appearing beside him.

John grinned as he turned over on his back. "Just feeling sorry for Nick while simultaneously being thankful that I'm not in the same shape."

Amy smiled. "So, are you feeling any better today?" she asked as she began taking his blood pressure.

"Yeah, actually I am. Tremors aren't so bad this morning and my legs and back don't hurt too much. Still hot though."

He lay quietly as she took his pulse and then his temperature and recorded everything. "Well, everything looks good but your temperature, it's up a bit. I'm thinking you had too many visitors and a little too much activity yesterday."

"Shouldn't this whole fever thing be getting better by now?" He was starting to get aggravated. The fever not only made him hot, but almost made him feel generally bad and lethargic.

"It should start improving soon. You just have to give it a little time."

"When can I get rid of this?" he asked, holding up the hand with the IV.

"Probably about the same time you get rid of the nasal cannula," she answered smiling. They both turned at the sound of a grunt. Nick's legs were getting wobbly and the nurses were taking on more of his weight. "At least you have scrubs," she said brightly.

Kelly had been holding Nick's gown closed as they walked. When he began to sink to the floor, she had to let go of the gown to put her arm around his waist and take more of his weight. Her arm still held the gown mostly closed, except when they shifted too much to the right in their step, which allowed the back to fly open a second.

John grinned at Amy before looking back toward where they were trying to get Nick back to his bed. "Nick, thanks for the entertainment, but that's really not my thing."

Three heads turned to look over their shoulders at John. Kelly was the first to realize what he was talking about. She adjusted her hold on Nick to more firmly hold the flaps of the gown down and whispered to Nick.

"Pervert," Nick called from across the room. He was wishing he had the energy to say more to the snickering pilot behind him, but the room was spinning so wildly he just wanted to be back in bed. By the time they finally set him on the edge of the bed, his teeth were tightly clenched against the pain and nausea.

"Ah oh," said Amy, rushing away from John.

John winced, knowing full well what she was talking about.

Kelly and Marcy had both seen Nick go completely white and knew what was coming as well. By the time he started retching, they already had a basin ready. Kelly held onto him so he didn't throw himself off the bed and Marcy held the basin in place. By the time he stopped, Amy was there with a damp cloth and wiped his face off. He was barely aware as they eased him back and got him settled in the bed, tucking in the covers and checking his IV.

Noises and movement around Nick were a blur for a few minutes until the dizziness finally began to subside. As the nausea began to fade, so did the screaming pain in his stomach from the violent pull on his stitches. He opened his eyes to see Kelly and Carson looking down at him in concern.

"Nick, are you okay?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah . . . I think I am now. That was . . . fun."

Beckett chuckled. "I doubt that. Get some rest now and we'll try again this afternoon. Second time should be a lot easier."

"Man, I hope so," he whispered.

"I'll be off in a bit and come sit with you," said Kelly.

Nick nodded as they turned and left. He lay there for several seconds and had almost dozed off when he heard another voice.

"Sorry about that." He looked up to see John standing beside his bed, IV pole in hand.

Nick arched one eyebrow. "Are you supposed to be out of bed?"

"I've been getting out of bed since we got back. And I didn't know you could do that."

"You've only been getting up to go to the bathroom . . . and you didn't know I could do what?"

"Arch one eyebrow like that."

"Yeah, my aunt taught me to do that when I was a kid. We'd sit in front of the mirror and practice. And I still think you should be in bed."

John put one hand on the rail to steady himself. "I'll go back in a second, I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry."

Nick furrowed his brow. "Sorry about what?"

John sighed and looked down at the hand on the IV pole, focusing in on the where the needle pierced the back of his hand. "About everything. About getting you into this mess and causing you to hurt now. I'm sorry about everything that freak did to you and about you having to live through something like that. I never thought . . . when I asked you to come through the gate with us, I didn't think about the possible consequences. I should have been more careful. I should have gotten us out sooner. I . . . I should have protected you."

His voice was so quiet by the time he finished that Nick could barely hear him. "John, it wasn't your fault. I wish I could have saved the Chancellor, but I couldn't. That doesn't make this my fault either. Can't you just accept that there were events beyond our control and we got caught up in them?"

John's gaze drifted back over to Nick as he adjusted his grip on the pole. "Didn't you get the memo? I have control issues."

Nick grinned. "Well, after that little adventure, I think I agree." Nick snapped his fingers and widened his eyes. "That's it. That's your way of maintaining a little power over a situation you've lost control of. By making wise-cracks to that guy, you were saying that, even though he had you shackled up and was torturing you, he couldn't control what you said or the way you acted. That's your coping mechanism."

John stared blankly at Nick for several seconds. "Huh. I thought I was just being a smart-ass."

Nick started to laugh and groaned, remembering his earlier attempt at the action. "You people have to stop making me laugh. It hurts." He groaned again as he put his hand next to the incision site, trying to relieve some of the pressure.

"You want me to get Carson?" asked John, worry in his voice.

"No, I'm okay. You better get back in bed before – "

"Colonel! What are you doing out of bed?"

John snapped his head up to see Beckett heading across the infirmary, jaw set and a frown creasing his brow."

"Oh, crap," John breathed softly. He started to turn back towards his bed, but bumped the table beside Nick's bed and almost went down, IV pole in hand. He regained his footing about the same time Beckett clamped a firm hand on his upper arm and steered him in the proper direction.

"Hey, Carson, I was just checking on Nick after his little walk, you know, to make sure he was okay," John explained as the doctor pushed him back into his bed and pulled the covers up. John immediately pushed the covers back down and kicked his feet out. "Hey, I'm hot."

Beckett's face had gotten a shade redder, so John sunk down into the bed a little farther.

"You know, Colonel, you wouldn't be so hot and you probably wouldn't keep running your fever up if you'd stay in bed." Carson suddenly looked around the bed. "And what in the name of the saints have you done with your nasal cannula? How am I ever going to get rid of you if you won't behave yourself?"

John sighed and rolled his eyes. "I only had them off for a minute and besides, they make my nose itch."

Carson stood looking at John before sighed audibly and mumbling something John didn't understand. "Well, let me give a listen and we'll see if we can dispense with them. You're breathing has been better, even if your temperature keeps going up and down like a bloody yo-yo."

John was a perfect patient while Beckett listened to first his chest and then his back with the stethoscope. He finally told John he could lay back and stood up, crossing his arms. "All right, Colonel, you can lose the cannula. But you stay in bed unless your taking a quick trip to the restroom, understood? If I have any more trouble out of you, I'll have a gown with your name on it."

"I'm sorry, Carson. I really did want to check on Nick. I haven't seen him since . . . since we got back. I just kind of wanted to talk to him a minute, make sure he was okay."

Beckett's expression softened. "Well, all right. But the next time, you call for me or one of the nurses. You're still having those pains in your back and legs and you could have fallen. And I really would like to see your temperature stay down more towards normal for a while."

John grinned and relaxed a little. "I'll be good. Hey, what about getting rid of this?" he asked, nodding toward the IV.

This time Beckett was the one who grinned. "Stay in bed and still long enough to get your temperature down for twenty-four hours and it's a deal."

John let his head fall back against the pillow. "I'll never get out of here."

oOo

John heard the door to the balcony open, but he continued to look into the night sky, enjoying the sense of freedom the open space gave him. The light breeze and the soft smell of the ocean in the air almost left him breathless.

"When did we get a bench out here?"

John smiled as he looked up to see Nick staring down at the long wooden bench he was sitting on. "A few days before our ill-fated mission. I built it."

"You built it?"

John chuckled. "I can do more than just shoot and fly. I like the balcony and I wanted a place to sit. Sometimes I don't feel like sitting on the floor, especially when I have healing ribs or legs or other assorted body parts. I just disassembled a couple of large shipping crates and rearranged the parts."

Nick cautiously sat down beside John, obviously trying it out in case the thing collapsed under their combined weight. When it held, he relaxed and eased himself back against the wall.

"Still pretty sore?" asked John.

"A little, but it's getting better. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay."

Nick smiled. "How about the pain in your legs?"

John sighed. "Still get it ever so often, but they get fewer and farther between. They aren't very strong any more, either. Carson thinks they'll be completely gone in another day or two and then he's supposed to clear me for duty." John turned to face Nick, his face barely visible in the dark. "How are you _really_? Torture . . . is not an easy thing to get over."

Nick could see the worry in John's face. "I'm not going to lie to you. I've had some nightmares and sometimes, when I'm lying in bed in the dark, I just get scared. I start thinking about it and . . . I don't know, I just start shaking. I'm not sure I can go with you guys through the gate again. Part of me wants to and part of me is still scared."

"Take your time, Nick. If you never go again, no one could blame you. You shouldn't have had to go through that."

"_No one_ should have to go through that, and that includes you. The thing is, someone has to go or we're just spinning our wheels here. I'm no better than anyone else, so I should take my turn to go when I'm needed."

"Nick, it was never intended for you guys to go. Ronon and Teyla and I are trained and experienced. Rodney . . . " John grinned. "Rodney sometimes has to go to do his job, and he's catching on. There is no reason for you to have to go unless there is a specific medical need. I've been thinking and that's what we need to go back to. Doctors and scientists just go when they are specifically needed."

"How do you do it? I know you've been through torture more than once, I've treated you for just that. How can you keep going through the gate?"

"It's my job. It's . . . what I do. We have some good missions, too. We've picked up some allies and some trade partners. I just always think about the value we stand to gain by continuing to get out there. That, and I'm an excitement junkie." He grinned at Nick, but it was lost in the darkness.

They sat in silence for a few seconds before John spoke again. "How's Kelly? I know she was really upset."

"She doesn't want me going on any more adventures. She says we get into too much trouble together."

John smiled as he looked out across the water, the moonlight reflecting off the gently rolling waves. "Maybe she's right," he said softly.

"I don't know about that, but she mentioned something about needing a leash."

John's head snapped up. "Rodney kept babbling on about a leash the other day. We might should watch out for those two."

"Not just them," said Nick. "I was waiting on Carson to check my incision site this morning and I thought I heard him mutter something about bloody fools. I think he was talking about us again."

John frowned and crossed his arms. "I went to Elizabeth's office today and came in at the end of a conversation with someone on the radio, I suspect Carson, and she was talking about someone always seeming to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have a feeling she was talking about me, because she almost choked when she saw me."

They sat in silence for several moments, each lost in his thoughts. "Look at it this way, Nick. People like us keep this place interesting."

Nick sighed. "Yeah, I guess that's one way of looking at it. John . . . thanks."

John looked at him quizzically. "For what?"

"For showing me how to keep life interesting . . . for getting me out of there before we got executed . . . and for teaching me a lesson about courage."

John snorted. "I don't know about that, but – "

"No, don't sell yourself short. I learned a lot about hope and about not giving up . . . and about controlling your fear." He chuckled for a second. "I still think you're a bit scary, but I'll watch your back any time you need me to. Just ask."

John grinned, even though he was trying to look serious. "What about Kelly?"

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "I'll bring her around. She just needs a little reassuring."

They listened to the waves a few more seconds before John stood and stretched. He looked down at Nick. "You know, I learned a lot from you too. I think we make a pretty good team. Now, before we start hugging or something equally girly, how about something to eat?"

Nick laughed as he carefully pushed himself up. "Food sounds good. Actually, a cup of coffee sounds heavenly. I haven't had any in forever. Carson and his rules against giving patients caffeine."

"Food and coffee it is," said John as they headed through the balcony door.

"Did you _really_ build that bench?

John laughed as they walked down the hall and was amazed at how good it felt. He couldn't help but think that his being in Atlantis with these people meant he was finally in the right place at the right time.

THE END


End file.
